#(this is not aimed at any of my mutuals i was simply branching out a bit and looking at other blogs and woof)
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i'm gonna be real with y'all i do wish there was more backlash to erasing a character's canonical bisexuality than there currently is? like even if you're doing it to write a character as gay it's still shitty. if a character is acknowledged explicitly as bisexual in the text itself and you erase that to write them as "fully gay" as if bisexuality is a half-measure, that's shitty! it really is!
#(this is not aimed at any of my mutuals i was simply branching out a bit and looking at other blogs and woof)#(i am simply so tired of it! and there is rightfully so backlash when gay characters are rewritten as bi)#(i'm thinking of the deserved pushback to the bi sera & dorian mods)#(but with characters who are literally built with bisexual attraction..... like i promise you it's ok to write them)#(i promise you it's ok to acknowledge that they're bi)#(i promise you that their queerness isn't lesser)#(i'm so tired!!! i sometimes get so excited abt the lovely lovely group of people around me that i forget how biphobic people can be)#(signed ur local neighborhood bisexual who is simply so fucking tired!!!)
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agents' secrets ✨ || bts • jjk [ONE-SHOT]
"please, don't shoot me for this."
about two interpol agents assigned to catch a pack of thieves. and a dicey secret to share.
© 2024 | eleni_cherie
[one-shot in 'the thieves collection' series - can be read independently!!]
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— word count: 10k
— genre: interpol agent au, gangster comedy, adventure, romcom, humour, angst, fluff, sexual tensiON, slowburning, mutual pining, co-workers to friends to lover cw2f2l
— song recommendations/inspirations:
luca vasta - imperial (i don't wanna dance)
hozier - too sweet
alexandra savior - bones
claire - friendly fire
ezi - take my breath away
jungkook - standing next to you
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COPYRIGHT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
IDEA/STORY/CHARACTERS BASED ON MY PREVIOUS STORIES: "A THIEF'S ORIGIN" , "AMONG THIEVES" AND "A THIEF'S END".
this one-shot aims to give additional backstory to some incidents from the three main stories from jungkook and skylar's perspective while focusing and adding details to their friend- and relationship.
if you want the full context and also more of the two, check out the other stories as well!
PROTAGONISTS:
JEON JUNGKOOK AS HIMSELF; YOUNG INTERPOL AGENT / FRISKY COLLEAGUE
KIERNAN SHIPKA AS SKYLAR BLAKE; YOUNG INTERPOL AGENT / AMBITIOUS NEWBIE
ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE. CHARACTERS NOT NECESSARILY LIKE THE REAL PERSONS. ALSO VERY UNREALISTIC PLOT LOL - JUST PRETEND READING A MANGA/COMIC OR WATCHING A FILM, REALLY.
SUGGESTIVE THEMES. MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE & BLOOD (BUT NOTHING TOO GRAPHIC, IT'S STILL A COMEDY!)
NOT FREE FROM LINGUISTIC ERRORS - ENGLISH IS NOT MY NATIVE LANGUAGE.
DON’T BE A GHOST READER. LIKE, COMMENT & SHARE THIS STORY IF YOU LIKE IT :))
DEDICATED TO EVERYONE WHO’S READING THIS FANFIC!
CHECK OUT MY OTHER BTS STORIES AS WELL: HERE
-Elenixx
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[set between the prequel and main story]
Interpol branch office
Seoul, South Korea
Jungkook had never been someone struggling with mornings. Considering they'd spend the previous days in Shanghai, arresting a counterfeiter they'd been after for months, however, the lack of sleep started getting the best of him.
If he could, he'd have more than twenty-four hours a day. A day alone wasn't enough to fully rest.
With a yawn, he sat behind his desk and switched his pc on. Slight disappointment washing over his features as there weren't any news about their favourite pack of thieves. Perhaps Seokjin would inform them about any hints regarding Park Jimin and his gang in the team meeting later.
His eyes wandered around then, realising Namjoon wasn't at the desk across from his. And he sighed. It was a view he should probably get used to considering his older collegue was leaving the robbery department soon to become the lead at special victims.
Of course Jungkook was happy for Namjoon, but he simply wasn't a big fan of changes, even if they were inevitable. It always took him awhile getting used to new circumstances.
Suddenly a tall figure entered his peripheral view and he saw his supervisor walking towards him with an ambigious smirk. "Jungkook-ah! Good morning!"
"'morning, Sir."
"What are these bags under your eyes? They're deeper than my soul," Seokjin laughed out and gave him a pat on the shoulder, coaxing a tired chuckle from the young agent.
"I know, I know," he mumbled in embarrassment, which his supervisor missed while looking for something in his pockets. Eventually pulling out a USB drive.
"Remember the list of suspects we requested from the bootleg case? We got it here. Make sure to cross-check with the other case."
He nodded firmly. "Sure."
Only when Seokjin left, he let himself sink into his seat again. He definitely needed coffee before the team meeting in less than an hour. So he got up, making his way towards the elevator. As he rounded the corner, he saw Namjoon entering through the glass doors with the sleeves of his blazer rolled up and a pair of glasses on the bridge of his nose. An air of refined nonchalance surrounding him.
He was holding one of the double doors open and only then Jungkook noticed he was talking to someone. Catching a glimpse of a person behind his broad shoulders.
"This is our floor and where you're gonna work at next week. It's pretty much the sa- oh! JK!" Namjoon's cheery voice when noticing him made Jungkook pause in his tracks. With a shy smile, he waved and walked up to him. Seeing the person Namjoon was talking to appear beside him.
A young woman, probably not older than him but not much younger either, stood there. Compared to Namjoon's tall stature she looked tiny and when standing in front of her he realised that she was indeed quite short, probably not more than 1.6 metres in height. Her shoulder-length blond hair was falling in soft waves, pushed back by a hairband. There was a sharpness in her brown eyes and a reserved curve on her lips as she locked gazes with him.
Only when one of her thick brows arched, he realised he'd been staring and with a quick blink of his eyes, he redirected them to Namjoon who'd been talking this whole time. "Huh?"
Namjoon gave him a puzzled frown before laughing out. "Say, haven't you fully woken up yet? I said this is your new colleague."
"Starting on monday, so not yet," the young woman corrected with a charming smile, earning a nod from Namjoon.
"Oh," Jungkook finally spoke up, his eyes going round like a child's as soon as he processed the information. And his gaze returned to her. "So you're his successor?"
"Y-yeah, I guess so," she answered tentatively.
"She's gonna be your new partner."
And his lips curled up. "Nice to meet you, then. I'm agent Jeon Jungkook."
He offered her his hand, which she accepted with a coy smile, giving it a quick squeeze before letting go again.
"Agent Skylar Blake, nice to meet you."
The senior agent motioned with his chin for them to continue down the corridor. "I was about to show her around the department before the meeting. You wanna join us?"
"Maybe later, gotta grab some coffee first."
Namjoon gave him an understanding look and chuckled. "Yeah, you look like you could use one."
He eventually met Skylar and Namjoon again in the conference room half an hour later. The two already sitting and chatting at a corner while people started gathering. Jungkook was sipping at his by now lukewarm coffee, occasionally peeking at them from a few seats away as they were all intently listening to Seokjin and the other teamleaders' updates.
The meeting went by rather quickly. There were news regarding some cases but nothing regarding Jimin, Taehyung and Yoongi. The general census being that they were currently laying low and preparing for a new coup after the failed one in Thailand months ago.
It was nearing noon when Jungkook sat back in his desk chair and stretched his neck. Finally having finished going through the list Seokjin had given him and some other evidence. He hadn't looked up from his screens in hours and when he did, his irises caught sight of Skylar sitting at the desk opposite to his. Namjoon's desk.
Her dark eyes concentrating on something in front of her, scribbling down on the paper.
For a moment, he observed her quietly as she tucked a streak of blond hair behind her ear. Tongue slightly sticking out between her red-painted lips. And he got curious of what she was so focused on.
Surely, he hadn't talked much to her yet but she seemed nice. And considering the two would be working closely from now on, he should probably get to know her better.
Skylar scribbled something again on what he eventually saw was a crosswords, too immersed in it to notice him approaching. Only a few blanks were left on the quiz and he raised an impressed brow when standing beside her.
"'Jackass'."
The young woman jumped up in her seat, looking startled at Jungkook above her.
"W-what?"
"'Jackass'," her he repeated matter-of-factly, motioning with his eyes to the squares on the paper and tapping his finger on it. "Nine horizontal, 'equid – stupid person': jackass."
Finally understanding, she looked down and indeed, it fit. "T-thanks."
"You bored?" he asked then, meeting her friendly smile.
"Kinda. Agent Kim told me to wait here as he got called in by the other agent Kim and you seemed so emerged in your task, I didn't want to disturb."
He hummed, his eyes briefly falling into a sad scowl. He knew he should get used to seeing someone else, particularly her, sitting behind that desk from now on, however, it was still hard to grasp or accept that fact.
Shaking off that thought, he grabbed the unoccupied desk chair of another colleague then, rolling next to her. "Mind if I join you?" he asked, taking a seat beside her. A whiff of an unfamiliar smell filling his nostrils. It was her, he realised, she smelled nice. Of flowers.
She shook her head then, scooting further away to make space for him. "I didn't want to distract you from your task, though. You don't have to keep me company."
"Nah, don't worry, I finished and besides.." he offered her a smile, "..we'll be partners from now on. I should probably get to know you better since we're gonna spend so much time together."
Her lips folded and she nodded. "Makes sense.."
"So you like crosswords?"
"Mh. And reading. Keeps my mind busy."
"I see. I prefer video games."
"I suck in them," she deadpanned, earning a chuckle from him. At least she was honest.
"And I suck in reading anything with more than twenty pages of text."
"Oh, so you can still read children's books at least."
He huffed a laugh seeing her biting back one herself. He wasn't used to anyone being this witty with him besides Seokjin and occasionally Namjoon and it amused him. Made it easier to get used to her.
"Yeah, but I'd much rather read manga."
He managed getting a small laugh out of her after all and he grinned, satisfied.
They grew quiet, reading over the remaining blanks when Skylar peeked at him with prying eyes.
"Since we're getting to know each other right now.." she began slowly, earning a questioning look from him, "May I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"Why do you seem so sad when looking at me?"
His brows rose briefly, before looking away with a sigh. So she had noticed. "Is it that obvious?"
"Oh, sorry, was it supposed to be a poker-face?" she giggled then, pointing her pen at him, "If so, I must inform you, you failed miserably."
He scoffed, laughing again and she joined him.
It was interesting. When she'd first met him a few hours ago he seemed aloof. However, seeing him laugh now had much the opposite effect on her. He looked quite innocent and childlike as his round eyes crinkled and turned into crescents while laughing carelessly.
"Please don't take it personally," he said then, "It has nothing to do with you. It's just.. I'm kinda sad Namjoon's leaving. That's all. He.. he is my role model here. Obviously Seokjin, too, they both are. But Namjoon was the reason I joined this department in the first place."
Memories from four years ago when he'd first joined after graduating from the academy swept through his mind. How nervous and dewy-eyed he'd once been and determinded to prove himself. Looking back at it now, he had to laugh at his past self.
Skylar, however, didn't seem nervous or gullible at all. At least from what he'd seen that day. And he quickly noticed the surprise on the younger agent's face at his confession, feeling himself blushing. "I know it must sound ridiculous and - "
"No, actually.. I get it," she interrupted him, "It was the same for me."
His eyes grew round. "What?"
She only nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I applied for narcotics first but he somehow got my application and convinced me to come here instead. He.. he surely has a way with words. I couldn't refuse." Frankly, she was still amazed by Namjoon's eloquent way of speaking.
Jungkook laughed to himself, nodding in agreement. "He definitely does."
They exchanged a small smile when suddenly their names were heard from the other side of the office. Both their heads turned in the direction of Seokjin's voice, seeing their supervisor standing all the way back at the open door of the conference room, waving at them to come.
"Just got some news from our favourite thieves. Blake, you might wanna join since you'll have to deal with them from now on, too."
They nodded and immediately got up to hurry to the conference room when Skylar accidentally bumped into him. Their gazes locked as she smiled up at him. And in that short moment her cherry lips moved to apologize, his breath hitched and he swallowed hard. His ears began ringing out of nowhere then, as if they'd clogged up and he shook his head in a poor attempt to get rid of it.
He noticed Skylar's puzzled expression, dark brows knitted together and his irises widened, taken aback.
"You two coming?"
"Y-yeah, yes," Jungkook quickly yelled and brushed past her towards the conference room.
And Skylar stood there, eyes resting on his tall figure.
What an odd guy.
»»»
[6 months later, during main story]
Mexico City, Mexico
"I can't believe I let her trick me like that," Skylar huffed, doing her best to fight against the urge of burying her face in her hands. Instead, she only shook her head, disappointment washing over her.
Jungkook gave her an empathetic look. "You're too hard on yourself," he said and settled for the seat across from her. "Seriously, don't let that get to you. Arabella Valentine is a sly one. She'd have tricked anyone and this was the first time you came face-to-face with her."
Despite her appreciating his attempt of cheering her up, her sulky expression only persisted. "I know. But considering I studied these criminals so well the past months and knew how mesmerising she can be to the point even Park Jimin constantly gets wrapped around her finger, I should've been better prepared. She caught me out completely and I know it's unprofessional but I.. I-" Skylar grew quiet before throwing her head back with a groan. "- but I quite profoundly and wholeheartedly dislike her."
Jungkook only bursted out laughing, quite amused by the usual level-headed Skylar losing her composure. "Because she handcuffed you onto the cabinet."
"Because she handcuffed me onto the cabinet," she confirmed.
It was the first time she had encountered the female thief and Jimin's 'frenemy' and love interest, and despite the stories and warnings, she wouldn't have guessed to get so easily fooled by her, too.
Quite frankly, Skylar felt her pride was hurt but more importantly she'd embarrassed herself. In front of Jungkook and worse, in front of their supervisor Seokjin. Despite him laughing it off and even joking about the situation.
"Ah, Sky, told you already. You're too uptight, loosen up! No one's judging you for that. I used to be like that, too, you know. I took everything too serious, I was so eager to prove myself.. But there's nothing to prove. You're good, otherwise you wouldn't be here."
In the past months and during long flights all across the globe and endless nights going over evidence and connecting the dots, he'd said the same. In the beginning she was indifferent and simply waved it off, then she got almost comically offended by his advices. By now it only made her exhale deeply, knowing he was right. Yet, it was hard to accept it.
"But she got away.." mumbled and propped her chin onto her hand as she looked out into the sunlit buildings outside the police precinct.
Sometimes, she still felt like the outsider. The rookie. The newbie.
Everyone but her team colleagues looking down at her. Perhaps she was being paranoid, but sometimes it seemed like agents from the other teams and departments were talking about her behind her back. Like when she entered a room and everyone coincidentally stopped talking, people looking away when she caught them staring or hushed whispers around the corners.
It was surely all in her imagination, all these insecurities she'd felt while growing up and later in school, university and the academy, piling up. As if being half-korean and not looking like it at all wasn't bad enough, but with her mother being a diplomat and sending her to private tutors and lessons, it surely hadn't made it easier.
She wondered if any of her colleagues knew about it, wondered if they believed she only got so far because of her mother, despite her always being strictly against her daughter persuing that career and even joining Interpol.
The sound of typing interrupted her train for thoughts then and she saw Jungkook had begun looking over the security footage in the meantime, trying locating Jimin and Arabella's escape route after slipping away in the traffic.
"She'd have anyway," he eventually shrugged a gentle smile crossing his lips when glancing at her, "But you were the only one thinking about checking the archive. You were smarter than the rest of us."
That was true, she thought and it lightened her mood a tiny bit. A genuine smile tucking on her red lips. At least Jungkook never treated her differently, despite knowing about her background.
He was way more positive than her. Not that she was a pessimist, but when it came to herself she was certainly her biggest critic.
Her eyes wandered over the curve of his cheek, and the wave of his hair, and the way his shirt draped over his shoulders.
Shaking her head, she pulled her laptop closer to help him in his search.
"Cheer up, here." His sudden enthusiasm made her perk up from her screen and he turned his laptop to her. "Found where they went to. It's this café."
She arched a brow. "But do you really think they'll still be there? As if."
"Maybe not, but it's at least a clue and besides.." He rubbed his belly with an innocent smile. He got up then and flipped the device shut, gesturing for her to follow. "Come, I'll treat you to lunch. To make up for your hard day."
She huffed out a laugh. "I know you're making fun of me again. But I surely won't decline the offer."
And she gave him a wink before brushing past him.
The floral scent of her perfume staying a second more.
»»»
[a week later]
Jungkook couldn't help but giggle in childish amusement when seeing Skylar struggling matching his speed. They were doing laps to warm up and he'd decided to tease her a little more by speeding up.
"Jung-" she wheezed "-kook! You meanie!"
Another fit of chuckles errupted from his cheeky grin until stopping abruptly and looking behind him.
Her blond waves were in a high ponytail, swaying left and right as she jogged towards him. Nearing him with a scowl.
They were both wearing the same standard field training attire, olive-green cargo pants and black shirts, almost looking like children whose parents' decided to give them matching couple outfits just for fun.
"Did you say anything?" he asked with a shit-eating grin, earning a roll of her eyes.
"We said we'd do a relaxed warm-up!"
He faked innocence at her adorable pout. "Oh sorry, must've forgotten."
Skylar could tell he hadn't but decided she didn't have the energy or will to continue arguing, being too exhausted after running like a maniac for five laps to try catching him.
"Are you two enough warmed up now?" the instructor at the training centre interrupted their bickering, both following him to the actual gym area.
Some would consider it a perk being able to exercise during work hours as field agents had to stay physically fit. Others again might consider it almost a punishment having to constantly work out.
Jungkook belonged to the first kind while Skylar was rather seeing herself in the second category. That day, however, she saw herself in the first one with him.
Defence training was on the schedule which she enjoyed as it was the only time she didn't feel totally inferior to Jungkook's muscular built which was quite the opposite to his sweet and juvenile face. And especially after Arabella having so skillfully fooled her last time, she felt she needed to freshen her skills.
An hour passed, grunts and small yells filling the area as both went through the exercises, either with the instructor or the training dummies. The air got stuffy after some, making the two eventually pause in need for a water break and to catch their breaths.
The instructor suggested for them to repeat the last couple of figures together the . One acting as the attacker and the other as the defender. So they positioned themselves on the training mat opposite of each other. Arms in front of them in a starting position.
"I'm apologising in advance, in case I'll hurt you," she said, causing Jungkook to scoff. He couldn't believe that smug smile on her gentle features.
"That's rich coming from the one always asking me to open her water bottles," he simply countered. Skylar's jaw dropped, about to retort something, when he began moving and she quickly composed herself.
Their movements were quick, she stepped in close to his body so when she turned, her right shoulder brushed his chest. Using the edges of her opened hands, she struck his upper and lower arm. Obviously she didn't do it too hard, it was more about doing the correct movements than using force. After all, she didn't want to actually hurt him.
Grabbing his arm, she twisted it until the heel of his hand pointed toward the ceiling. But then he pivoted, placing his right shoulder under her elbow and freeing himself. He walked backwards, facing her with a smug grin on his full lips. He brushed away the dyed strands that had fallen in front of his eyes with his tattooed hand as he took in the initial position.
Skylar puffed out a breath, blowing off a strand that had loosened from her ponytail. There was determination written behind her long-eyelashes and her fingers gave him a daring wave, gesturing him that she was ready for his move.
Without saying a word, his body spun in an fast movement. Left hand pulled back into a fist, the other arm stretched out for a pretend-punch aimed at the spot beside her. But Skylar grabbed his wrist in time and forced it to stop mid-air while her other hand grasped the collar of his shirt.
And both came to an abrupt halt, staring at each other with heavy breaths. Sweat beads were rolling down their foreheads, hair sticking to their flushed skin. There was a sudden shift in the air between them, it felt tense, electrified even. And for a moment, Jungkook forgot where he was, the wave emerging from her eyes deep and dark, threatening to envelop him as he sunk in deeper in them. Almost swallowing him up. And there it was again, that faint ringing penetrating his ears. Until the instructor's loud clap yanked him back to reality.
"Good! Back to the initial position and repeat!"
Skylar let out a shaky breath and loosened her fist from his shirt. Retreating slowly. Her brown irises fell to the bigger becoming space between them.
And she wondered if he also felt a short pain shooting through every fibre of his body when their faces were only centimetres apart from each other.
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[a month later, set during the main story]
Skylar was laying in her hospital bed. Wide awake.
Hours had passed since Jungkook's visit - after a nurse had lost her patience and pressed him to leave as visiting hours had long ended and Skylar was supposed to rest. Yet, she couldn't just do that. Of course not. Laying there instead with eyes wide open, staring into the darkness.
Waking up there after three days of coma due to exhaustion should have had her shaken up. However, the main cause of her troubled thoughts was rather the situation that had brought this upon her to begin with. The memory of it replaying in her mind's eye in an endless loop.
Just a pinch between her shoulder, nothing more was needed from Jimin for her to succumb after catching him on his escape from the interpol building.
It should've never come this far considering her self-defense skills, then how did it?
Certainly, she wasn't the only interpol agent these thieves kept outwitting, even her own supervisor getting fooled by them and yet, she felt humiliated it happened to her again.
Was Jungkook right? Did she overdo it and overwork herself?
Jungkook.. She should probably consider herself lucky to have such a sweet and caring person as her partner. He was always so considerate of everyone.
She wondered if he percieved her like that as well. As he himself always said, they had to look out for each other and that was what she always tried when they were out in the field. But somehow she felt like she failed. How was she supposed to look after Jungkook when she let herself get tricked by thieves so easily?
She sighed, her eyelids growing heavy eventually.
"Let me guess," Jimin chuckled from behind, "You're into your little colleague, agent Jeon, right?"
Her eyes shot open at the sudden memory creeping up from the depth of her mind.
Jimin's teasing words while disarming her days ago still rang loud in her ears. And she frowned all over again about this random and profoundly wrong conclusion.
Sure, he was known for having excessive psychological skills and the ability to read through everyone, exposing them to his advantage, but even he could be wrong at least once. Right?
"T-that'd be highly unprofessional," she had defended herself back then and she stood by that. But now she regretted not simply denying it.
Yes, he was attractive and cute. Yes, he had a charming smile. Yes, he had a great personality.
No, she didn't have feelings for him. Not because it would've been unprofessional but because she simply didn't.
Right?
Jimin surely wouldn't have persisted calling it a crush if she had just denied it.
She was good in self-defence, she'd trained for this kind of situations. And yet, when he'd brought up Jungkook, it'd thrown her off completely. Distracting her. Of course, that was most likely the reason he had done it in the first place. He had only tried messing with her by bringing up Jungkook and she'd let him succeed.
That was what bothered her the most, the fact she'd failed in freeing herself from Jimin's clasp in time before he'd began distracting her.
And that was also the only reason why he'd called Jungkook to pick up her unconscious self afterwards. He probably thought he'd do her a favour by not leaving her on the cold ground for too long, as amends for making her unconscious.
That was it. Anything else wouldn't make sense because Skylar did not have a crush or any romantic feelings towards her partner.
She couldn't.
And still, she couldn't deny the warmth she'd felt when seeing him there. When waking up in that unknown environment, dazed and confused, meeting Jungkook's excited eyes and bunny smile gave her a wave of serenity.
He always made her feel safe. That was something no one else could.
»»»
Jungkook's gaze kept unconsciously returning to the empty desk in front of him.
It was funny in a way. Seven months ago he had struggled getting used to seeing her occupying the space instead of Namjoon and now, now he couldn't imagine anyone but her sitting there. And seeing it all empty gave him a restlessness he couldn't quite understand.
Truth was, when he'd seen Skylar lying unconscious against the wall, his heart had dropped to the pits of his stomach, filled with panic and fear. The mere possibility of anything happening to her, made his mind cloud with a dark fog.
Lost in thoughts, he kept nervously tapping the pen in his hands against the tabletop.
He secretly worried, he constantly worried for her and he didn't know why.
It wasn't because he considered her weak or incapable. He knew she was more than capable. Her scores at the gun training were always 90% or more. And she was able to defend herself, which she always proved whenever the two trained together. And she was intelligent, the smartest person he knew save for Namjoon, she wouldn't get herself in danger.
Then why was he constantly concerned over her well-being?
Probably because he wasn't blind, he saw her staying up on the plane while everyone was dozing off, going over the case files. Or staying in office after everyone was gone, to finish the paper work. Or how she constantly beat herself up whenever she believed she'd screwed up. Just like now, despite an hospital stay.
His eyes fell on the empty desk across from him again.
The relief he'd felt when she'd finally regained consciousness after three days was beyond description.
It was logical for him to worry, though. Of course it was.
Skylar was his partner. She was his friend.
»»»
[set after the final chapter of the main story but before its epilogue]
A knock on the car window disrupted the peaceful silence. Much to Jungkook's surprise, he saw none other than his partner waving at him from the other side of the glass before opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat. She immedietally took off her gloves to rub her cold hands in the warmness inside. The heating blasting from the dashboard in full mode
"Sky, what -" Cough, cough. "Are -"
"Save yourself from another coughing fit," she giggled and revealed a paper bag. Rummaging inside it before taking out a cup. "Here, drink."
Jungkook blinked, accepting the warm beverage. The steamy aroma of tea filling the car.
He opened the lid and blew on it before taking a sip. "What are you doing here? I thought -" Cough. "- Don was supposed to scope out with me tonight."
The blonde only shrugged, taking out another cup for herself. "I switched. Convinced him that he'd rather want to sit in a warm and cozy office and file the warrant requests than being out all night in the cold."
Her answer only puzzled him more as it rose more questions. "Didn't you prefer being in a warm and cozy office, too, though?"
"Of course," she nodded.
"Then why did you do it?"
She smiled into the dark liquid between her hands. Taking a sip herself and letting it warm her her frozen body. "Because. You know, it's quite boring if you aren't around to keep me company," she admitted casually. Despite feeling her already pink cheeks blushing more. His lips parted, but before he could response anything, she cleared her throat and continued. "And besides, I know it ain't fun doing an observation. Especially not when you got a cold and the other person talks non-stop about themselves."
He chuckled under his breath and took another sip from the tea, soothing his itchy throat. "Guess that's true."
"It's you who should've been in the warm office, your nose is all red," Skylar pointed out then with a raised brow but he only waved her off.
"S'okay."
"You sure?" He wanted to roll his eyes but Skylar's delicate hand suddenly pressed against his forehead. A concentrating look on her soft edges. His breath hinched. His eyes flickering to her lips.
"You're warm, you must have temperature." She sat back, glaring at him with concern. "Jungkook, are you sure you're okay?"
And he smiled. "I am, don't worry."
To that Skylar only huffed and crossed her arms. "You're such a hypocrite, always telling me I shouldn't strain myself but here you are, sitting in a car in the middle of January for an observation while being sick."
"'am not," the round-eyed guy mumbled when an anew cough emerged and he quickly tried suffocating it with the warm tea.
"Fine, be stubborn and worsen your cold," she mumbled then, "But don't expect me to come and bring you soup or something." She shoved the paper bag into his lap then and he saw there were his favourite cup noodles, banana milk and a pack of antipyretic pills.
His lips formed a small grin. He wouldn't mind getting worse if that meant she'd take care of him really. Nonetheless, he swallowed one of the pills along with his tea.
For the next ten minutes they oberved the building in silence. Skylar felt her eyes closing on their own, having to constantly blink to keep them open. She wasn't the best in simply sitting there for hours without doing anything, hence why she despised observations. And Jungkook knew it. Of course he did after two years of knowing and working with her now.
And yet she chose to do an observation just to keep him company.
Most people thought of Skylar of the perfect balance of wit and charm. Fascinating and inaccessible, distant because of her demonstrated intelligence, and possessing such strength of character that she was dismaying and at the same time utterly attractive in an enticing and 'out-of-your-league' way. But to Jungkook she was more than that, more than simply smart, capable and beautiful. She was lovely, she was caring, she was adorable when upset and a real tease when competing with him.
But one thing he had to agree with, she was surely way out of his league.
"You know," he broke the silence, his voice quiter than he intended, "I read that classic novel you recommended."
At that any evidence of sleep washed away from her. "When?"
He frowned. "Why are you acting so surprised?" He sounded genuinely offended by her dumbfounded look and she quickly folded her lips.
"S-sorry, it's just that you yourself said you aren't much of a reader. That's why I've never expected you.." Her voice trailed off as she watched the cute pout on his lips grow. "And how did you find it? Did you like it?"
Jungkook made a thinking expression, biting his lips. "Honestly, I was confused in the beginning, but once I finally got the hang of it and used to the writing style, it was quite good. Less dramatic than I expected though."
She laughed. The lights of the dashboard giving her clear skin a faint blueish hue. "You expected it more dramatic? I found it quite dramatic as it was."
He shrugged with a lopsided grin, lingering on her dazzling large eyes a bit longer before averting his gaze back to the building he was supposed to observe all night long. "Perhaps I'm used to Hollywood-movie-drama. For the people back then it must've been quite dramatic."
Skylar couldn't help but give him a fond look. The fact he read one of her favourite books despite not being into reading, meant a lot. Especially as it wasn't a light read either, she knew.
"If I knew you'd read one of my recommendations I'd have suggested a classic romance novel, knowing you have a weak spot for such stories," she said, not teasing this time but with a nothing but affectionate smile.
"Name me one and I might read it if I find the time and will again."
"Let me think of one, after all I don't wanna be cliché and recommend Pride and Prejudice - although admittedly, it's brilliant."
"Oh, I've heard of the film - can I just watch that instead?" His boyish grin made her laugh out.
"Sure, do whatever you want," she giggled, looking out at the dark streets again. The fluffy snow blanket covering all their dirty secrets. No one had entered or left the building of interest and no one was out at this hour unless they had some dubious business anyway.
"You know," she spoke up after awhile, "I also tried watching the movie you mentioned."
He perked up at this. "'Tried'?" he repeated chuckling, "So you didn't."
"I did!" she defended herself, "But.."
"But?"
She pursed her lips. "I cried."
"Huh?" He looked at her, dumbfounded.
A pout crossed her features and she looked out again. "I cried, okay? A bit. It made me cry."
His lips folded, contemplating whether his memory failed to remember the sad scenes or if there really weren't any. "But.. it's not a sad film," he smiled then.
"Not necessarily sad, but touching for sure," she mumbled bashfully, avoiding his glance so he wouldn't see her eyes tearing up again. She was good in keeping herself from sudden emotional outbursts, but she had a weak spot for plots like this. Although she rarely watched anime films, this one would surely go to the top of her list.
"You're cute."
Jungkook's sudden words made her turn slowly, looking at his smile with utter astonishment. No one had ever called her cute, save for when she was a child. She didn't find her face to be one that would commonly be considered 'cute' nor did she think her personality matched that description. And yet, she felt herself blushing.
Her lips parted, fiddling with her words when he looked ahead again and took another sip of his tea. Clearly missing her lack of words. "Okay, no films that may make you cry then. What about horror films?"
"Horror films?" Skylar asked surprised, glad for the change of topics. "I love horror films! I thought you were only into chickflicks and anime though."
He frowned, faking offence. "Not 'chickflicks' - romance and dramas. There's a difference!"
She giggled, rolling her eyes. "Alright, sorry. But why have you never told me you like horror films in all these years we know each other?"
He shrugged. In all honesty, he didn't expect her to actually be into this genre and was a little astonished over that. "Hm, why have you never mentioned it either?"
And the two shared a short laugh before going back to observing the building in silence. His eyes occasionally side-tracking and watching her instead.
Skylar wasn't just his partner. Neither was she just his friend.
She was the closest person to him.
»»»
[a few months later]
national treasury
Sejong, South Korea
"Team alpha, our man has been seen in the basement, near the left corridor."
"Roger that," Jungkook answered into the transmitter before pointing to their left with two fingers. Skylar gave him a nod and proceeded through the metal door with her gun aiming in front of her. Him following, eyes trained on every corner.
The basement of the national treasury was dim-lit, only security lights being switched. Bathing the corridors in wine-red and creating an eery atmosphere.
Skylar made a handsign, indicating she saw something suspicious. Shining the flashlights which were held right under their guns at the direction. And indeed, the massive door at the end of the corridor, was left a jar. Both exchanged a glance. It could've been a trap but they had to check it out nonetheless.
Carefully, Junkook pushed it open and entered, shining into the darkness. He went further inside, Skylar illuminating the other side of the room. Cabinets, safe deposits but nothing more visible. Reaching its end, they realised the area was empty and lowered their arms with a disappointed sigh.
His partner was about to propose to leave and check other places, only for a heavy noise behind them to catch their attention. They tensed and looked behind their shoulders. Against the red lights, the lean sillhuette of a man appeared and he waved at them. Jimin's laugh echoing through the dark then. "Don't worry! I'm sure the adults will find you soon."
Before they could react properly, he disappeared behind the massive safe door. Letting it click shut and leaving them both with a perplexed look in the light of their flashlights.
"No, no, no. No way," she muttered and shoved her gun into its holster before rushing to the metall door and desperately trying to push or pull it open, in vain. It didn't bulge even a little. Jungkook joined her, both grunting while taking turns in throwing their bodyweight onto it and pulling at the handles in a desperate attempt.
"It's really locked, huh?" he exhaled watching his partner retreat from it with a deep crease set between her brows.
"Seems like it.." She groaned, throwing her head back. "Great. That damn thief.. and what are we doing now?"
"Well," Jungkook shrugged after tapping his in-ear and not receiving any signal, just as expected considering that was one of the main security precautions of that safe. No reception. "I'm pretty sure agent Kim will look for us soon. He must notice we're missing."
Skylar only huffed though, taken aback by how relaxed he seemed. She observed him taking a seat on the ground, propping one arm on his angled knee while letting his flashlight wander around the room. The countless deposit lockers lined up on the walls covering everything in a cold silver.
"What do you think is inside there?" he asked. Brown eyes round from curiosity.
She sighed and walked up to him. Sliding down the wall and taking a seat beside him. She hated having to just sit and wait, not being able to do anything. She felt helpless and that was what they essentially were in that moment. All they could do was sit and wait for their colleagues or any security guards to find them.
Tricked by those thieves once again. She had to laugh at how ridiculous it was.
With a dragged breath, she stared up to the ceiling. Her eyes peeked at Jungkook who was still looking around their surroundings with child-like awe. If it wasn't for the situation they were in, she'd have found it adorable.
Quickly, she shook her head and coughed. She had to stay calm and focus. "I have no clue, Kook."
He hummed and began walking around. Lighting at the walls in search for any well or crack, but unable to make out anything like that. His gaze then went to the ceiling and the glass squares covering the lamps.
"Sky, would you come here for a second?"
"Why?" she asked but still got up, walking up him. Her eyes following his when he faced her with a mischievious smirk.
"I'll give you a leg-up and you try see if you can push in any of the squares. Maybe there's an intermediate ceiling."
She looked at him in disbelief. "Seriously?"
He simply nodded with certainty so she sighed, eventually nodding.
Jungkook was glad that no matter how ridiculous Skylar found his ideas, she'd always agree to follow them. He didn't know whether it was because she trusted him or because she didn't want to put up with his persistence, but he was glad nonetheless.
He crouched down, folding his hands on the ground for her to put her foot on. She grabbed onto his sturdy shoulders as he hoisted her and she climbed onto them. Frankly, she got a fuzzy feeling being all up high on an a wobbly surface but he held her ankles firmly, so she dared an attempt to stretch. Barely touching the built-in lamps.
With light grunts, she stretched more. Eventually managing pushing one of the lamps but with no success. It didn't bulge. "Dammit," she muttered and tried again by subconsciously raising her heels and slipping.
She shrieked out of shock, hands letting go of the flashlight and instinctively reaching out to hold onto nothing but air. In the split second she fell, she saw sporadic memories appear in her mind's eye when feeling strong arms enveloping her.
Jungkook had caught her fall in time, slowly setting her down. Her feet touching the ground of whose acquaintance she'd almost made.
Skylar's heart was racing, chest raising and falling rapidly as she breathed irregularly. And she stared at the soft ages of his dimly-lit face with a bewildered glare.
He was so close, he was so close and she couldn't feel her legs anymore. She couldn't feel her fingers or the cold or the emptiness of this room because all she felt was the warmth his body was radiating, everywhere, filling everything while his arms were still securely wrapped around her smaller frame.
And she couldn't help but recall the memory pieces she'd seen when falling. They all consisted of him. Pieces of them together. Of his sparkling eyes, crinkling when laughing, of his sweet smile, turning mischievious when teasing her and his gentle voice, calling her name.
"Sky, are you alright?"
She blinked, realising he was actually calling her. Concern engraved on his partly illuminated features due to her silence. "Y-yes." However, her fingers curled more around his biceps. Ensuring he wasn't an illusion of her imagination from hitting the ground after all. "Please," she whispered then, "Please, don't shoot me for this."
And before he had the chance to ask what she meant, she let go of all her self-control and instead, kissed him.
She kissed him like it was her only chance to ever do something so reckless and bold again, because it most likely was, and she had to make the most out of it.
His lips were softer than anything she'd ever known, soft like a first snowfall, like biting into cotton candy, like melting and floating and being weightless in water. It was so effortlessly sweet. But perhaps the best part of all that was that she, guilty of constantly analysing the world around her, stopped thinking. And it was amazing.
At least, until she started thinking again.
"You.. wow.." he breathed against her flushed lips then. If his pupils weren't already wide from the darkness, they'd surely been after that unexpected move.
"S-sorry," she stuttered, feeling silly and awkward when realising what she'd just done in the brief moment her logic was switched off. "I shouldn't - I mean, we're colleagues. Partners! We should not.. it was unproffessional. Let's forget about it." Her feet moved to step back, when she felt his hands holding her forearms firm in their place.
"Sky," he simply said and she immediately stopped in her tracks. "If you regret it because it happened in the heat of the moment, without any meaning to you, I'll forget and never mention it again." He paused. Her soft skin shining faintly in the light of the flashlights on the ground. His hands moved from her arms, to her shoulders and eventually came to a halt on her neck. And Skylar held her breath, unable to move her gaze away. "However," his voice deeper now, "If the only reason you regret it is out of fear what anyone at work might think, I'll remind you that no one's around."
Skylar swallowed. Unable to suppress the rush in her chest. "And.. and what about you?"
"Me?"
"Y-yeah, what do you.. think about it?"
He smiled before pulling her in. His lips finding hers again. She didn't even try to fight it, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling Jungkook closer. His hands wounded her hair, as he'd wanted to do since the first time he'd seen her. It curled around his fingers, silky and fine. Her lovely scent filled his nostrils. His heart was pounding hard, creating a rushing sound in his ears. It wasn't a ringing this time, though, it was like beating wings.
Until it was replaced with the jarring noise of the opening door, catching them off-guard.
They practically pushed each other away, taking several steps back when multiple sillhouettes appeared at the frame of the opened door and they recognised Seokjin with security guards standing there. Bliding them with their flashlights and the two flinched.
"There you are! Jimin only left a note to look after 'the kids'," their supervisor laughed, seemingly highly amused by the situation. He turned around then, gesturing for them to follow. "Come, you two, there's no time to waste. He's still around the building."
"Y-yes, sir!" Both exclaimed in unison, peeking at each other before rushing out. Almost bumping at each other when trying getting through the door at the same time.
She nudged him then when the others were several steps ahead.
"You got lipstick around your lips," she said in a rushed whisper before picking up her pace and joining Seokjin, who was giving them new instructions.
And Jungkook smirked, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
It was good the security lights were still switched on and no one could see their flustered faces and excited smiles. Or her own smudged lipstick.
They surely had a long night in front of them.
»»»
[two months later]
Interpol branch office
Seoul, South Korea
"I'll do it - should I do it? I'll do it. No -"
Skylar turned around, ready to head back to her desk when she bumped into something hard. Stumbling back, she came face to face with her boyfriend who was arching a brow at her.
"What are you doing?"
"I- nothing," she said firmly, "Going back to my desk." She was about to brush past him when Jungkook grabbed her arm, pulling her back.
"Why aren't you going inside?" he asked. His voice was calm and it sounded like a genuine question, yet there was a judging tone in it. "You should go in and talk to him, just like we practiced."
A sulky expression crossed her face and she looked away. "I- I forgot what we practiced. I mean, I got a blackout okay? I can't, let's just-" Her anew attempt of leaving once again prevented by him.
"Sky, why are you so nervous? You'd be perfect for the position. Just give agent Kim your official application and explain why you want it."
She sighed, peeking at him with a meek smile. "You know.. I don't like when people have such high expectations of me.. I usually like to crush them." It was one of her personality flaws, she supposed. Just like she had done by not following the plans her mother had made for her life.
"Is it expectations if I'm certain that you'll succeed though?"
"That's so cheesy of you," she whispered with a giggle, "But if we weren't at work I'd kiss you for that."
"You can kiss me later at home," he chuckled, tucking a stray streak of hair behind her ear and cupping her cheek briefly before letting go. Knowing she didn't want to risk anyone there finding out and hence always reminding him to keep any display of affection at bay.
With Jimin's gang suddenly retiring in Taiwan, one of the few countries Interpol had no jurisdiction at and agent Seokjin deciding to get married to an agent from the organised crime department and stepping down from a field agent and the supervisor position in favour for an office one, a supervisor position in the robbery department would soon be vacant.
And Skylar wanted it.
After four years there she'd quite many success stories to list, from leading a joined unit with the narcotics department to discovering several hideouts of bootleggers. But still. "They won't consider me for the position anyway," she said, bitterness lingering in her words, "I'm only thirty and too young, it'd be against the usual custom for an agent this young to become a lead. And I know some are side-eyeing me for my family background. If I really ended up getting the position, people would probably say mother pulled some strings. And besides.." She briefly glanced up at him, before her eyes wandered around the area for any unwanted ears. "..what about us?"
A crease formed between his furrowed brows. "What do you mean?" he whispered, matching her hushed tone.
"I mean," she said, wiggling her index finger between them, "It's already bad enough we're secretly dating despite being partners. But dating while me being your supervisor? That'd be ten times worse."
His lips parted, exhaling deeply. "Oh," he slowly began then, affliction evident in his eyes, "I don't wanna be the reason for you not getting your dream position."
"No, no, you wouldn't, Kook," she quickly objected, shaking her head as she touched his hand. Giving it a soothing squeeze, "As I told you, they wouldn't consider me anyway."
"I'm sure they will," he smiled, "As far as I know, agent Kim was even younger when becoming the team lead. He'll surely put in a good word for you to the higher ups. And I'll also do so, if asked. So?" he nudged her then, "Will you stop being a coward and go to his office now? Otherwise I'd feel forced to carry you inside there. And you surely don't want people talking, right?"
She groaned at his bright grin, knowing he would absolutely do as threatened if needed. It should annoy her, but she knew it was only for her own good. So she eventually sighed. "Fine, no need for your dramatics."
"Good girl," he nodded and turned her around by the shoulders, giving her a light push towards the door. "Good luck, although I know you won't need it."
"You're way too certain about this and I don't like it. You'll get more disappointed than me if I don't get it."
Jungkook straightened himself, staring at her with firmness.
"I know you will though."
»»»
[six months later, set during the sequel]
"Sorry for making you wait."
Skylar smiled when seeing her boyfriend nearing her with hasty steps. Pushing herself off the wall of the underground parking lot to greet him when he pecked her lips as soon as he reached her.
"Iew!" she scrunched her nose with a giggle, hitting his chest playfully, "You're all sweaty! Didn't you take a shower after work out?"
"Ah, no. Since it took more time, I didn't want to make you wait any longer than necessary," he explained, throwing his gym bag over his shoulder and pushing back the raven strands that were stuck on his forehead. "I'll just shower at home."
The blonde hummed, brown eyes shifting towards the ground. "Besides, we said not at work.." she mumbled with a light scowl, causing him to roll his eyes.
"It's literally past office hours and no one's around." He let out an overly dramatic sigh, pretending being disappointed. "And here I thought I finally rubbed off on you.." He held his hand out for her which she accepted with no hesitation and he tucked her towards their cars.
He never took her concerns personally, he knew where they came from after all, especially these past months. However, sometimes she exaggarrated and was a tad too paranoid. At least in his eyes.
"Mine or yours?" he asked then with a raised brow, seeing her shrug.
"Let's go to yours. I don't have any food left in the fridge."
His brows wiggled at her. "Who says there's any in mine?"
Her lips parted, laughing as well. "Didn't you go grocery shopping two days ago?"
"Yeah, and I already ate it all," he grinned, "I burn lots of calories after all."
Frankly, she should've learned in all the years knowing him that this man could eat three full plates of food on his own and yet she still got surprised every time over his metabolism. "Fine, let's order something then."
"Did you finish off all the paper work by the wax?" He unlocked his car and slid inside. Skylar following him by taking the passenger seat.
"Yeah, I did. Wasn't too much after all." She dragged a breath while putting on her seat belt. Propping her cheek on her fist. He started the engine and drove the car out of the underground parking area. Taking a turn, heading west to his apartment. The sun hadn't set completely yet, tinting the sparsely spread clouds in warm evening colours. "She really didn't seem to have any clue about where all the stolen goods might be hid at.."
Musing over her words for a moment, Jungkook eventually nodded to himself. "I'll do a background check on eventual hidden bank accounts and rented places tomorrow."
She hummed, biting down her lips as they curled into a soft smile. "What a diligent subordinate."
Without averting his eyes from the road, he reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze before leading it to his warm lips. "Gotta impress the boss after all."
Jungkook watched her blush from the corner of his eyes and chuckled under his breath.
It had been four months now since she'd got promoted and he never tried hiding how proud he was of her. Sometimes she pretended getting annoyed, but he knew that she secretly enjoyed it very much and simply wasn't used to it. Especially considering she wouldn't hear these words from her family. At least not her mother who Jungkook had the displeasure to meet, way before they'd started dating. It was only once but it had been enough for him to determine her personality, since Skylar herself wouldn't talk much about her - let alone speak ill of her.
He'd never admit it to her, not wanting to hurt her pride, but he pitied her a lot for that. He couldn't imagine not having both his parents' support hence why he made sure to be the one giving her lots of affirmation instead.
Particularly now with Jimin and his gang suddenly making a comeback in thievery after only half a year of retirement and everyone in the team, especially Skylar as the team lead now, being in a tizzy because of it. Even Seokjin having returned for extra support for this occasion. Not that they minded, they had missed their senior colleague's cheeriness and bad humour.
They eventually reached Jungkook's apartment and ordered food, him ordering a double portion obviously, before settling in front of his big flat-screen. Watching a survival show Skylar didn't really care about, but it was Jungkook's favourite so she didn't mind. It was too warm for her to concentrate on anything anyway. She was at her second scoop of ice cream, unable to cool herself. Not even a shower having helped.
She was sitting beside him, cross-legged and focused on her dessert. Her damp hair was flowing over her shoulders, slightly wetting the collar of her tanktop. A few small streaks framing her high cheekbones. He observed her dark brows knitting together then, struggling with a brain freeze before recovering and going back to digging into her ice cream. And he breathed out a smile.
He was helplessly and irrecoverably in love with her. Probably was from the very first day, even if he'd ignored the signs back then.
"Sky, say.."
She looked up from her caramel ice-cream, leading the spoon into her mouth with a frown as he'd stopped mid-sentence, making him huff out a chuckle. His arm stretched and he wiped away a bit of the cold sweet from her chin. A dragged sigh leaving his lips then, he shifted uncomfortable in his seat.
Uncertain of whether to repeat himself or simply letting go of the knowingly difficult topic, his eyes focused back on the show they were watching.
"Nothing.. just forget about it."
Maybe it was easier to pretend that he didn't want more out of this, always wanted. From the very beginning eight months ago, Skylar had been very clear and he had promised to respect her wishes. And yet, his heart couldn't help but crumble each time they worked on cases together and had to suppress even the smallest display of affection in fear anyone would sense there was more between them than just being team members.
However, despite him playing it off, as he usually did for her sake, Skylar couldn't help but notice the affliction in his eyes. She always did.
It wasn't like she didn't sympathise with him. It wasn't like she never got just as frustrated as him. It wasn't like she didn't feel the same. However, she was scared of losing everything at once if she dared saying anything.
She was one of the youngest team leaders in the history of the South Korean branch office. And a woman and half-foreigner on top of it all. She couldn't risk having her colleagues discrediting her or their work and scrutinise every little decision she made when knowing she dated her former partner and now subordinate.
And yet. there were also times when she thought none of that mattered anyway, because it was him. Because it was Jungkook. The sweet goofball who always had her back and had saved her ass more times that she could count.
Slowly, she put the bowl aside onto the coffee table where his legs were spread onto. Untangling her own legs, she knelt next to him on the couch.
"Hey," she poked his cheek with a pout, tilting her head. "Don't ignore me."
"'Am not," he chuckled and caught her wrist before she could poke him anew. "Just watching the show."
"I know you ain't actually paying attention."
Rolling his eyes, he held her gaze. Unable to dismiss the sorrowful sparkle in her big eyes. "Sky, it's.. it's okay." He forced himself to smile with his lips pressed together. Redirecting his gaze back on the flatscreen before he even had the chance to say something absurd and irrational like suggesting to make their relationship public.
The screen suddenly turned black and his brows arched at her.
"Let's talk about it."
"Is there anything to talk about though?" His voice holding genuine confusion. "I get your reasons and you know I'm supporting you no matter what. I just.." His voice trailed off. Shy eyes found hers again as she was intently listening to him. A faint smile on his face as he cupped her rosy cheek. "I'd love if this thing between us was real."
"It is real to me," she frowned, covering his hand with hers. "Just 'cause we keep it a secret from our colleagues doesn't mean it isn't."
Skylar knew she wasn't as good in showing her affection or romantic nature as he was, but she thought that by now he'd know her feelings for him and that their relationship was more than just a fling or a little after-work affair to her.
The crush she once had - and which that thief had perfectly deducted years ago even if she hadn't acknowledged it - having developed into way more by now. She knew she loved him.
The corners of his lips tucked into a wider smile. Hearing that made his heart-flutter, the validation that this meant more to her as well. "Alright, let me replace 'real' with 'official' then," he said, making her smile as well. And she drew closer to him.
"Alright."
His grin faded, taken aback. "Alright?" he repeated, unsure.
"Yeah, alright. Let's do it. Let's make it official. No secrecy anymore."
"I didn't say that to pressure you. I wouldn't want us to get in trouble at work a-"
"Honestly, screw them!" she cut him off, sitting back with folded arms. "I'm sick of having to fear losing my position just because I love you. It's not like we'd be making out in front of everyone or bicker while interrogating a criminal. We wouldn't even have to tell everyone."
"We wouldn't?"
"No, I checked that."
His grin returned. "You.. you did?"
"Yeah, we'd only have to tell my higher-up and sign some papers. Son from the other team told me a week ago. He had to do it once when dating an agent from division 3. Did you know that? And agent Kim literally married Yongsun from organised crime, so.." Adry laugh left her lips. "I better not catch anyone talking about us."
Jungkook remained silent for a moment, humming as he let her words sink in.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he spoke up then. He didn't sound mad, just curious. And Skylar exhaled deeply, peeking at him before her gaze drifted into the warm night.
"I wasn't sure if it'd be as easy for us, you know.." she admitted truthfully, not being as riled up anymore. "We're not just co-workers and we don't work in different departments or teams. I'm your supervisor. And a woman, so I have to prove myself and all that bullshit." She frowned at her words. "But I'm tired of it all. And it isn't fair to you nor me. We shouldn't have to hide. We're not the criminals here."
Another deep hum followed from him and he glanced at her. She was still turned away, her waves flowing in the night breeze as she was staring out the window. A pensive expression on her features.
"Sky?"
"Hm."
A beaming smile found its way on his lips then.
"You said you love me."
"And?"
"That's the first time you did."
He watched her freeze. In her upsetness she hadn't realised those words slipping out of her lips. She turned around with shocked eyes and he couldn't help but burst out laughing. Her expression instantly softening at the sight. She wasn't regretting saying it, she only regretted the way she had.
"Stop making fun of me!" she whined then, grabbing his tattoed arm and pulling at it in an attempt to make him stop, but it only worsened it. "Jungkook!"
"I'm- I'm not!" he breathed in between of laughing. It was always a hilarious thing to him whenever his collected girlfriend slipped like that.
"I'll take it back if you don't stop."
"Oh yeah, make me?" he challenged her with a smug grin. Seeing her huff, crossing her arms again.
"You're so childish."
"And yet you love me."
Her lips parted, about to defend herself when instead, she got silenced by his kiss. He knew it was the only way to end their bickering.
He pulled back then, brushing a streak of hair away that smelled after his shampoo before placing both palms on her cheeks, squishing them lightly. He was beaming from ear to ear and it was a breathtaking sight.
"Don't worry, if anyone tries messing with you, I'll talk to them. You know how convincing I can be."
Skylar giggled. Yeah, good looks and an easy-going personality made him 'Mr Popular' and he knew when to use it. "I can defend myself," she pouted, "But thank you."
He nodded and was about to lean in again for another peck, when he abruptly paused. Staring at her with a firm yet tender look.
"I love you, too, by the way. In case it wasn't obvious all these years."
THE END
»»»
- hope you enjoyed the one-shot, giving more insight to Skylar and Jungkook and to some events during the three full fanfics
💜check out the whole "thieves collection" series or my main bts masterlist for other members' stories in this universe or in general💜
And don't forget to like, reblog & leave feedback!♡ It motivates me to keep writing :)
#jeon jungkook#jungkook#jungkook fanfic#jungkook fic#interpol au#gangster au#law enforcement au#coworkers to friends to lovers#cw2f2l#jungkook oneshot#bts#bts au#bts fic#bts oneshot#jungkook fluff#jungkook angst#jungkook slowburn#bts fanfic#bts x oc#kiernan shipka#bts series#jimin#yoongi#taehyung#seokjin#namjoon#hoseok#bangtan
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Can I request domestic life, black s/o with bakugou and hawks having 3 sets of twins(4 boys 2 girls) all with strong quirks and strong personalities like them. Ending with nsfw and them finally getting some alone time without the kids.
Everyday Hawks asks himself why the hell he had so many Damn children.
His answer? Because he loves kids and wanted to be a family man.
Let his twin flame tell it? Because he has a breeding kink.
To cap it off, they all had some combination Of both of your powerful quirks. All three sets of twins had Hawks’ wings in various colors. It seemed he was destined to birth all prodigies as all six of his children displayed their quirks early.
Hawks couldn’t have been more proud or felt more blessed. He loved all his chicks, but my lord...
THUMP!
“Keito! Kaito! What are you two doing?”
.........
“Kaito! Keito—“
“Nothing!”
It wasn’t nothing.
When Keigo went upstairs, the two (your h/c) twins had managed to knock over their entire toy chest.
Dozens of blue and red feathers hovered in the air as two pairs of wide (e/c) eyes stared back at him.
👉🏻“He did it!”👈🏻
Keigo just sighed and rubbed his forehead
“I don’t care who did it, just clean it up.”
“Yes sir!”
“Keigo!!!”
That was you calling for him.
Keigo flew downstairs to see you looking somewhere between exasperated and exhausted
You simply pointed at the ceiling where your infant twin daughters had floated up to the rafters.
“It’s amazing that they can already fly at one.” Keigo marveled proudly.
“Yeah they’re regular prodigies, just like they’re daddy,” you sighed, tiredly. “Just get them down, please.”
“Ok daddies’ little chickadees,” he flew up toward the ceiling To grab the giggling baby girls.
He nuzzled their blonde hair. “My little chicks. Please don’t scare mommy like that.”
“I told you we need to get baby leashes for them.”
“We are not putting our kids on leashes like dogs, y/n.” He passed you the babies. “Remember, there are no locked cages in our house.” He grinned, cheekily.
You shook your head with a small smile. “Why did I let you pump six kids into me?”
“Hmm,” he wrapped an arm around your waist, his amber eyes growing seductive. “Want me to remind you?”
You giggled. “Kei—“
“Mommy! Daddy!”
That was your second set of twin boys
You and Keigo glanced at each other, panicked, and ran outside.
Once you two made it to the back yard, you were met with your eldest two twins. Neither of you could believe what you were seeing. The humongous tree house—more like a god damn tree mansion—that Hawks had constructed for the eldest children was completely bottomed out.
The floor of half of it decorating the ground and two by fours hanging from the sturdy branches like Christmas ornaments.
“H-how,” you muttered in disbelief, “just...how...?”
Hawks appeared to be near tears.
“It took me almost a year to build that thing...”
The six year olds flew up to you both, talking animatedly over each other.
“Mommy, Kato and me were playin’ heroes, and-and Kaya was tryin’ to do Daddie’s feather sword move an-“
“Nah uh Kano! That’s not what happened, you were tryin’ to do uncle Enji’s moves, and then, and then-“
“And Kato, and..”
Their explanations overlapped into an incoherent mess that only served to leave you and Hawks with more questions than answers.
The two of you glanced tiredly at each other. Pretty much in a silent agreement that you both needed a break.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Do you think Mirko is ok?” You asked worriedly, as you removed yourself earrings.
“Trust me, if anybody has the energy to handle our chicks, it’s Rumi.” Hawks replied, snatching off his tie.
The two of you had just come back from dinner at one of your favorite upscale restaurants. Hawks had truly gone all out, getting you a room at an upscale hotel and spa.
Mirko had luckily jumped at the chance to babysit her favorite baby carrots, allowing the two of you a much needed evening out.
“I know, but I’m just worried. She hasn’t texted me in three hours...”
“Whelp, either our kids killed her or there’s nothing wrong,” Hawks quipped.
You shot him a withering glance. “Very funny, Keigo. I’m gonna call her.”
Just as you whipped out your phone, a tickle along you leg made you pause. Another ran down your arm. Then along your neck.
“Stop it, Kei.” You giggled, swatting his crimson feathers before they could make their way up your skirt.
“I can’t help it, babe,” hawks mumbled back, he reached to grab your hips. “You’re so fucking sexy when you’re in concerned Mom mode.”
He pulled you on to the bed until you were straddling his hips. “Those motherly instincts are what drew me in.”
You rolled your eyes, fighting back a smile.
“Well, that,” his amber eyes grew hazy with lust, “and how fucking sexy you are.”
Pinching your soft stomach, you shot back; “Oh yeah, six kids later, and I’m a regular Instagram model.”
In a flash, your husband had you flipped on your back.
“Nah, baby, you’re better than any IG model. ‘Cuz you’re real.”
His scarred hands slid along your thighs. You shivered as his avian golden eyed gaze held on to your own. The scruff of his goatee tickled your thighs as he kissed the soft flesh, kneading it.
“Ahh Kei~”
“This body,” he slurped harshly against the dark skin of your hips and pelvis, “has given me six of the greatest blessings in my life.”
His fingers danced it’s way towards your dripping womanhood. A sweet sigh slipped from your lips when you felt two of them enter your heat.
“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, y/n.”
His thumb pressed against your clit, setting your body on fire. You were already clenching his pumping fingers. His tongue slipped around your nipples, tickling your nerves once more.
“So yes,” he glanced back up at you, “you are fucking sexy to me, Lovebird. And I haven’t been able to fuck this body proper in a long time. So fuck the phone, fuck calling Mirko, fuck everything.”
He hoisted himself on top of you, his erection gliding against your pulsing clit and wet lips. The fire in your womanhood was absolutely raging now.
Fuck, you needed him.
“Let me fuck the shit out of you,” he smirked down at you, “the way we used to fuck before the kids.”
Well shit, when he put it like that, who were you to protest?
You snatched off Keigo’s white button down in seconds. Your dressed was tossed aside and in seconds, your legs were wrapped around Keigo’s trim waist.
“I got you, babe.” He mumbled into your ear.
With a powerful thrust, he plunged deep into you. A sharp pleasure shot through your entire body.
He ground his hips hard, fast, and deep against the friction of your gushy grip.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck—oh my goddd..”
You cursed. The pain of Keigo’s teeth in your neck, juxtaposed with the sweet pleasure he was assaulting your pussy with.
“My baby,” he moaned against your neck, his breath hot against your skin. “Feels so fucking good, fucking amazing...”
“Don’t. You. Dare. Cum. In. Me.”
You managed between his powerful thrusts. You tried to glare at him, but he felt too good inside you to manage anything other than desire.
He pushed himself up to his knees and pulled your legs apart.
His sexy smirk aimed at your blissed out face.
“Make a pretty face for me to come on then, Lovebird.”
He slammed into you even harder. His thick dick hitting your g-spot with every stroke.
“Ah, god, Keigo!”
Your loud moans mounted into breathy screams.
“Oh yeah, that’s the spot isn’t it, Lovebird?”
“Right—fuck—right there, Daddy~”
“Yeah?” He groaned.
Somehow, even with his orgasm clearly approaching, he kept his eyes on you. You could barely hold your own open as Hawks’ strokes you to your orgasm.
His red feathers flared out, ruffling. That was it. That made you snap.
Your orgasm closed in on you, bathing you in ecstasy.
Hawks was right behind you. He slid out of your grip and shot his thick, hot load all over your panting lips and heaving breasts.
“Shiiit.” He sighed before sinking down on top of you.
The pair of you lie in the afterglow of your mutual orgasms. Hawks cradled you in his arm, wrapping the both of you in his soft wings.
“Do we have to go back?” You asked.
Hawks chuckled, kissing your kinky curls. “We do, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Yeah,” you smiled, “we wouldn’t.”
((This was a very difficult to do but it was also very cute. So thank you for that request I hope you like it))
#bnha headcanons#bnha imagines#mha headcanons#hawks smut#my hero academia hawks#my hero academia#bnha#my hero fanfic#bnha smut#hawks x reader#takami keigo#bnha scenarios#mha keigo takami
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What is Queer?
Gay 1 told me to ‘settle down, our lot can get married now so (I) should Stop complaining- and while (I’m) at it, get a job and stop dyeing (my) hair weird colours.’ I gulp down my imperative to scream at his condescending tone, and walk away. To be Queer is to be looked down upon, but to know one’s value and try to be better.
And the teacher stuck in the 70s hasn’t realised yes, I can study Queer Theory at university -And even as a word itself, it is one I treasure: Can he not tell I’m not slurring it across a room like his other student did just last week?
Just as the grassroots informed the naming of our theory of life, The tensions of which branch of non-normative identity one takes up Is present in its constituents too. But Gay 1 runs our Gay Straight Alliance, And important politics are formed in the process of making a capital-a Ally so I play nice.
It seems the Allies want to join the acronym too now, And the Lesbians and Gays are in pieces over how respectable they should be today. Being an Ally isn’t Queer, sorry, we say, but they never wanted to be Queer anyway.
Being Queer means knowing that co-operating is sometimes useful to the movement, But that ultimately your aims are totally disparate, and it is more useful to Find a group on the margins too for totally different reasons And find where the struggle does overlap- and in the space it doesn’t create mutual aid.
Grinding my teeth in the fifth meeting this week- with staff, or my own constituent students That tell me, maybe I’m too militant for liberation and should focus on Going to the raising of the flag at University House instead.
Queers look to total liberation, that is tied up in the liberation of everyone else too So we will demonstrate: against racism, to end the thinly veiled neo-colonialist war- For any cause that drives humanity towards a utopia, no matter how useless Such an endeavour feels. To be Queer is to actively oppose harmful structures.
No, this does still not make Allies Queer. Show me their action extending past A GSA meeting, into the streets for us and others, or to their homes- their bedrooms. Point to how they Queer their movement through the world.
Could a Heterosexual person be Queer? Queer 2 replies, ‘maybe if they are Trans.’ While I do agree, being Transgender is as much a way into Queerness as being Attracted to multiple genders, the implied definition for Queer (as told by Queer 3) Is simply non-normative gender and orientation, nothing more and nothing less.
We are a politics against purity, but did you see the same logic of LGBTQUIAP+ (and endless formations even less useful than that) Shining through? This is not who we are meant to be, damn it!
Let’s Queer the pitch and challenge these outdated lines of gatekeeping. What of the Ethically non-monogamous? What of those who practice kink and have Non-normative sex? What makes their variety of relationships not Queer? What even is Queer? It has dead bodies in itself, but birth and celebration too.
And I know that the cisgender heterosexuals in those communities Are still prone to shouting abuse or laughing at us or denying us access: I am adamant. Those ones Queer nothing. But some still do.
Consider the limited parental rights of those categories, or the working opportunities. Sexual violence is laughed at when other pain is consensual. There are powers at play When a BDSM scene creates a culture of consent stronger than its vanilla counterparts And when non-monogamy undermines the premises of an efficient nuclear family.
At my first social, I am told to use a fake name, and call the one I am under protection of ‘Amy’. The name stumbles across my lips but it is for our protection, no one can know she Studies … No one can know I’d teach if I could one day.
Is anything solidly Queer? Queer is a verb, I am Queer because of how I choose to Act in my life. I am Queer when my sex(uality)/ relationships/ gender undermine That which is the norm. When I struggle in solidarity and revolt against the logic of this world. Gay 1, or Lesbian 4 are not Queer because they uphold this Straight hegemony.
Queer is anti-capitalist, so join me on the streets in the march to Grenfell, Or smash your way to the top of Millbank Or mask up for when Mark Duggan…
The Queer cannot beg to be ‘like everyone else’, with a normal family and marriage, Or ask to join the army and kill some brown (queer) people for their country. We are a set of demands alight in a Molotov Cocktail- and if our flame makes the sparkliest rainbow, Then so be it. Queer is a potential found across gender and orientations, embrace it.
In a room full of the closest friends, she admits that maybe she too is a bit Queer, a bit genderqueer, that these norms do not fit her either, but she is afraid To come out- to family yes, but to the community of letters who should judge her not enough.
I am not a subcategory of anything or anyone, not even the Gay and Lesbian group. Queer means so much more than a simple identity, it is a statement of intent, A set of demands and constant striving to have made oneself who we needed as children.
We are the eternal collective of Dykes, Fags, Trannies- and above all else- filthy Queers. And we are here, we will eternally fuck this shit up in the name of glorious revolution-
My beautiful body that pleasingly straddles binary gender and sex is its own small Revolution. It is yet more beautiful when the binaries dissolve under the weight of A gender pluralism that recognises gender’s present importance but eventual death.
To kill gender and sexuality and leave only pleasure and people is our aim, for now we fight-
February 2018
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Part 1 of 2 - Set Tuesday 20 March 2018 (The Vernal Equinox)
It only took 84 years, but I’m finally posting John’s current plot only 13 days after the events here took place. The plot itself is still in progress, but have day 1. (Work kicked my ass for basically 10 of those days.)
There comes a time when you can’t prepare anymore. You’ve trained. And trained. And trained some more to the point your trainers had to take you by the shoulders, look deep into your eyes, and tell you to stop. You’ve not only picked out the perfect outfit, but you actually made it yourself, with just a little help from your friends. Had some of this been a stalling tactic? Perhaps, but some of it was legitimate concern of being ill-prepared. When there’s so much riding on a single shot, it’s hard not to want to be as thorough as possible. But as possible had come, and maybe even gone again. Now it’s just fear holding him back, and he can’t justify waiting any longer.
Goofing off is fun, and he’d rather simply act like everything is perfectly normal and not potentially about to go to hell in a handbasket. John is well aware this plan is idiotic and ill-advised, prone to disaster, with dozens of ways it can fail. Nevertheless, it’s the one he’s going with. Their home is currently untraceable, and if he doesn’t bring anyone with him, they can’t be harmed on his behalf. That’s his primary concern, however soft it may seem to some of them. There’s also the concern at least one might be prone to recklessness for his own completely understandable reasons, and John would rather not risk that occurring when walking into the heart of enemy territory.
He’s said good-bye to everyone, including Moro, even though the baby was fast asleep and Cecilia was giving him a subtle stink eye he not awaken him. He was glad of the presence of something to take her mind off the loss of her husband, even if it was John’s own unasked for child. However mismatched they’d seemed, there were no two people more devoted to one another than Kevin and Cecilia, and John could see it wearing on her each day he wasn’t there, would never be there again. All because he happened to answer the door at the wrong time at John’s behest.
Knowing that there was no way he could have known any of this made it no easier to bear the guilt of everyone’s losses. Once they were safe, a couple of members had deserted, and he’d hardly been about to stop them. They had every right to abandon a leader who couldn’t keep them safe. John had wished them well and given them resources to sustain themselves until they could be properly independent.
If he was lucky, what he was about to do would stop the hemorrhaging of people. If he was unlucky, it probably wouldn’t matter what happened. They would be doomed or they would continue to flee, but he feared the former to be more likely.
Admonishing Streak to take good care of his pineapple for him, which she promises she will, he starts punching in the coordinates on his watch. He’s surprised by a sudden tug on his collar and lips pressed hard and fast to his. He blinks at the culprit, who grins and fingerspells out ‘For luck,’ in their mutual rapid fire style. “
He grins back, agreeing, “For luck.”
Taking a deep breath, he engages the transport mechanism and appears in an area that seems to be both deserted and a place that screams for anyone happening by to go away and not look any closer. There’s absolutely nothing to see there. It would be convincing too, if not for the thrumming of magic in the air.
The place was lousy with it, the high concentrations of it causing the Power contained within John’s body to sing in return. He stands there, arms raising until they’re stretched out from his sides, hands at hip level just letting it wash over him. Damn, but if this didn’t feel magnificent. He couldn’t absorb anything this way, but he wished he could. He’d never be hungry again.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t just stand there all night like someone using up all the hot water standing under the showerhead. He had a mission, and he needed to get started.
John still had very little in the way of finesse with unfamiliar magic, so he simply focuses himself, punching a blast through the illusion and diversion shield. That would have been the opposite of a good idea if he had been looking to maintain any hope of stealth. It wasn’t his plan to be stealthy, however. He wanted them to know he was here. What better way than to stroll right through their front door.
Unfortunately, John’s aim couldn’t be quite that lucky. He strides across the yard of the moderately sized home as if he owns the place and knows exactly where he’s headed. In some ways, he does. His enhanced senses tell him he has set off every alarm bell the witches possess when he damaged their handiwork.
Figures appear as blurs, stopping in front of him in attack mode. He hold his hands up in surrender. “You guys really ought to mark your doors better. It’s such a pain having to walk around the side because it was camouflaged,” he quips, offering them a cheerful smile.
Unfortunately, the cheer is all one-sided. The guards snarl threateningly at him. “Take me to your leader?” John prompts, keeping up the friendly visit facade for the moment. “Please?”
Whether they simply don’t buy the act or the invasion is too surprising, no one finds his joke very amusing. One of them finally seems to relax enough to stand up neutrally, though the other remains ready to strike should John say something he didn’t like. “How did you find us?”
John smiles, replying enigmatically. “Sore wa himitsu desu.”
“Stop trying to be cute. How did you get in?” he barks in return.
“I don’t have to try. I’m naturally adorable.” He shrugs at the growl from the more aggressive of the pair. Everyone’s a critic. “I would think how I got in was fairly obvious. I punched a hole in your shell and hopped through it. I’d suggest patching it up as soon as possible. You never know what might come wandering in.”
“They’re working on it. What is it you want here?” Every word out of this guy’s mouth sounds like he’s supremely put out by having to speak it.
“I already told you. I’m here to see Violet,” he explains patiently.
“Violet? There’s no Violet here. Try again, and make it good this time, because this is the last try you’re getting before I put you back through the hole piece by piece.”
“I really wouldn’t advise that.” John lifts a hand, casually scratching his head in a way that moves his hair to reveal his Mark. He puts the hand back in the surrender pose when the wide eyes of the welcoming wagon make it clear they have both seen and understood what it means. “Silly me. It’s been so long. Of course she’d be going by something else. Sorry. My bad. But it really is important I speak with her, so if you could see fit to take me to your leader, I would be ever so grateful.”
The two vampires look at each other, neither sure what to do. They didn’t have a plan for this. No one could have expected John to come waltzing in to their compound alone and looking to chat with their leader.
John sighs in exasperation, rolling his eyes. Clearly he got the Mensa branch of the group. “If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead. We all know it. You have my word I am not here to attack anyone tonight unless I absolutely have to. Now I’m going to start walking again, and you’re welcome to join me or stand around with your jaws flapping in the breeze.” As soon as he’s finished speaking, he makes good on his word, continuing around the pair on his way to where the front of the building is likely to be.
It takes them a moment to process what just happened before they’re scurrying to catch up. One of them serves as an escort, the other goes on ahead to advise the clan as to what’s happening.
The door is still open when the pair make it to the porch to enter it, the dim interior dotted with the curious glittering eyes of what would appear to be most of the clan peering out to see John as they enter. He’s wearing a big, cheesy grin, inclining his head or a hand in a friendly wave. “Surprise!”
The ones who aren’t insanely curious as they’ve never seen him before don’t seem thrilled to see John there, but he ignores the animosity. What else would someone deliberately marching themselves into enemy territory expect but to be met with suspicion and loathing?
They lead him to a room no better or worse than any other in the place, which surprises him not at all. It’s Violet’s style to show her power through her actions, not where she happens to live. This place is likely a utilitarian choice anyhow and not meant for comfort or luxury.
She waves a hand dismissively at his escort. “Leave us.”
“M’Lady?” Clearly this was unexpected and it’s not met with pleasure.
“I said leave us. He’s not going to attack if he went to all the trouble of letting you walk him in here.” A bow and an apology later, John’s escort leaves, shutting the door behind him. She shakes her head, muttering about problematic help before turning her attention to her visitor, who has remained patiently waiting in a pose resembling parade rest.
“Donovan.”
“Violet.”
Neither of them go by those names anymore, but as she chose to lead with the name she knew him as, he returns the favor rather than correcting her to his current name he knows she knows.
“I should have expected this from you. You never do things in a way that makes efficient sense. If you could find us, why didn’t you bring your kindred and simply wipe us out?” It’s an honest and reasonable question, presented with genuine curiosity.
He smiles at her, a wistful expression tinged with sadness. “As beautiful and bloodthirsty as ever. You know violence isn’t my way if another solution can be found.”
Violet arches her eyebrow, challenging him with her expression. They wouldn’t be here now if that were entirely true, and they both know it. She continues to hold her silence, but gestures for him to have a seat.
Since he isn’t planning on immediately leaving, John accepts the offer, situating himself on a nearby chair. He tucks both legs up under him until he’s seated cross-legged on the chair. His hands clasp, draping his forearms across his thighs, the picture of a casual teenager hanging out. “My entire life is predicated on the statement ‘Everyone makes mistakes.’”
“Your mistakes bring death. Even now people die because of you.”
His lip curls at her unfortunately factual observation. “Yes. I might have noticed. I might also have noticed I’m sitting across from one.”
Violet sneers back at him. “I am only what you made me to be. As was your brother.”
The only indication she got to him with the comment about Jake is a small eye twitch. “My brother is not germane to this conversation, but I am sorry for the pain I caused you. I was wrong, and I can never make it right. The deaths of my family at the hands of your people don’t change that.”
“Isn’t he?” Her musical laugh is more terrifying than any threat Violet could level against him. Inside, John quails at it, even as his mask is unshaken. If she doesn’t know who she has in her dungeon, she has suspicions, which isn’t good at all. That kind of knowledge is more power than she should have. At the same time, this offers him a glimpse at her cards, so she may not have as much of an advantage over him as she would like to believe. “Maybe they can’t bring him back, but it makes you hurt, and if that’s the best I can do, then I’ll take it. And don’t think just because you found a new hidey-hole, we won’t find you.”
“I have no doubt. Your tenacity is one of the things that most attracted me to you. One of my great regrets in life is causing it to twist into this. But that’s what I do, isn’t it? I take the beautiful and sublime and turn it to rot. No amount of whitewashing can ever fill in the holes left behind.” He hadn’t meant to wax poetic, but every word he said was sincere. He had loved Violet, and he had hurt her greatly. She has every right to hate him, and John is almost glad she isn’t willing to simply forgive him and love him again the way Jake had.
Her eyes flash, a deep violet which the name he had bestowed upon her so many centuries ago was drawn from. “Don’t think you can win me over with pretty words. You ripped open my heart and left it on the ground to bleed. And now you come here, invading my protected sanctuary, to what? Distract us while the rest of your people prepare for an assault?”
“Hardly.” His lips quirk up in the faintest of smiles. “What remains of my people wouldn’t stand a chance against yours, even if they knew where we were or how to get in. I’m here to ask for a truce.”
“And why on Earth would I agree to that?” she retorts incredulously. It’s not a no, which John counts as a point in his favor.
“Because now you have me. I come to you as a trade for peace against my family. They don’t deserve what’s happening. Not a single one of them was even alive at the time, and they don’t deserve to be used as punishment because you can’t strike directly at me without destroying either yourself or whoever you send in your stead.” As vicious as Violet is, he knows she does care for those she’s taken in. It used to be her way, and he believes it still is or she would have allowed a direct strike against him personally.
She laughs again. “And what good does having you do me? You said yourself I can’t end you without consequence.”
“I know,” he concedes, “But it’s the best I can offer.”
“No. The best you can offer is killing yourself and ridding the world of the plague that is John Crocker the third aka Donovan aka Cain son of Adam, the first born of the world, bringer of death to humanity. A fitting fate for his mother’s son who brought us all down out of perfection.” John sits stone faced throughout her litany of his sins and the single, apparently necessary one of Eve’s. There’s no point in objecting to anything Violet says. She’s not wrong. “But you won’t do that, will you? Even now you’re too much of a coward to do the right thing. The thing you should have done way back at the beginning instead of running away.”
“You wouldn’t still be alive if I had done that,” he points out.
Violet shrugs, not really caring about a detail such as that. “As it should have been. You disrupted the natural order of things. By the time I realized I would have been far better off without you, it was too late. You’d charmed me into taking pleasure in watching the world change even as I never would.”
“Another of my many sins I can never atone for if given another thousand lifetimes.”
“Don’t bother.” She waves a hand dismissively. “I absolve you of the guilt for that one. If I’d really wanted to die, I could have done so with ease. If not by my own hand, then perhaps that of your little hunter.”
“I beg your pardon?” Jake isn’t the first hunter John’s ever been on friendly terms with, but he is the only current one, and he was known to this clan in times past, so he is assuming she means him.
“Don’t play coy with me. It doesn’t suit you.”
“I’m not playing anything. I don’t have any hunters. Why would I? Their whole mission is to bring death to us. I’m not going to keep one around where he can pick people off at leisure.”
While his facade of ignorance had been good, it hadn’t been perfect, and Violet catches the slip. “I never said it was a he.”
“So? The vast majority of hunters are male. It’s a safe bet, and a generic pronoun. I could easily have said she and had as much chance of being right, but I played the odds.” Way to contradict yourself there, John.
She doesn’t seem to be buying that explanation either. “Stop lying to me. You’re not very good at it, and the only one going to suffer for it is him.” She lifts her right hand, spreading her fingers. On her pinky is the ring John had given to Jake as their rings of self-proclaimed binding to one another. “It’s quite lovely, if a strange design. What does it mean?”
His eyes flick to the ring, jaw tightening. If he hadn’t been sure he should leave the ring home before, now he was especially glad he had. “How should I know? It’s not my ring.”
“Bullshit. My people saw you wearing one just like it. Only the two of you. No one else.”
“Double bullshit.” He lifts both hands, revealing no jewelry and even pulls his shirt to show nothing on a necklace either. “How could they tell anything of the sort when they were busy slaughtering innocent people?”
She snorts. Innocent people her ass. But debating that will get them nowhere, so she leaves the subject be. “Then you left it home. Smart. But irrelevant. I know what I need to know about him. He’s important enough to you for you to mark him as yours. He has the right look too. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this...” she trails off, leaving it hanging in the air for John to draw his own conclusions.
“Get a better map. This one has obviously led you down the wrong path.” It’s a warning, one they both know means she’s right, regardless of what John is trying to say otherwise.
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." It’s all he can do not to punch the smug look off Violet’s face as she quotes Shakespeare at him. The correct version of the quote, no less, and not the inverted one that became popular. Somehow that makes it worse, but he couldn’t say exactly how or why. “What do you think he would think of what you’re doing now? Abandoning your family running away like you always have when things get tough.”
“I’m not running away. I’m running toward something. Toward the threat to them. I can’t protect them from you there, so I came to the source to nip it in the bud.”
“To try to nip it in the bud. And to fail miserably. You couldn’t possibly ever have truly believed this would work? Not if you knew me as well as you claimed to. Or as my little gift should have told you.”
The mention of Streak finally breaks his mask of indifference, drawing a growl from him. “You tortured and turned a little girl. Decorated her and sent her to me like a gift. Why?”
“A reminder. You’d gotten too complacent, and I had been hoping you’d remember there were threats even your little hunter calling a truce couldn’t stop. But you didn’t listen until it was too late. What a shame.” She clucks her tongue, shaking her head.
“Why her? She means nothing.”
The look Violet gives him speaks volumes, basically saying ‘I know something you don’t know,’ but also a bit of surprise he doesn’t know it too. “Doesn’t she?”
“She doesn’t,” he avers. Now he knows he’ll need to figure out who Streak is, regardless of the outcome of this visit.
“Suit yourself then.” It’s of little concern to her whether John cares as to who the gift was. “We don’t have a deal.”
John starts to say something, but closes his mouth again when she holds up a finger, telling him to wait because she has something more to say.
“We don’t have a deal, but we do have a temporary cease fire. I’m willing to admit you finding us and coming here alone to talk and offer yourself as tribute wasn’t something we expected. I promise I won’t attack your family yet, provided you remain here and they make no moves against us, while I consider the options currently at our disposal.”
This doesn’t strike John as a benevolent consideration so much as it makes no difference to promise to wait as she doesn’t know where the safe house is yet, so she can’t do anything anyway. It’s the best offer he’s likely to get at the moment, so he finally nods. “Agreed.”
Violet calls in one of her minions, instructing them to set their guest up in a room of his own. Dipping her head in deference, the girl promises the lady Alys she’ll do it right away before hurrying off to do so, singing quietly to herself. This draws a deep sigh from Violet. She should have expected no less.
John, having stood to go with the girl, smiles and chuckles softly. “Alys is a pretty name. It suits you.”
“I didn’t ask you for your opinion of my name, Donovan,” she snaps back.
Her annoyance draws the smile into a grin. “I know, which is why I gave it anyway.” Before she has a chance to object, John leans in and kisses her, soundly but with genuine affection. A part of him will always love her, regardless of what else happens between them. Drawing back he meet Violet’s eyes during her moment of surprise. “I will be getting that ring back,” he promises in a low voice full of unspoken menace.
Giving a little wave, he turns on his heel to track down the girl who seems more than a few apples short of a barrel.
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Learn Reiki Udemy Marvelous Unique Ideas
Firstly, it will be guided by a teacher, one should learn Reiki.Reiki treatments to others but you do in Reiki as a legitimate and nationally recognized branch of medicine or homeopathy; the therapy forms correctly.You can even be useful in treating a number of people who have had great success with a Reiki Master yourself!In fact it now with the first tests had been a great love for this or have years of channeling the energy flowing into your daily routine.
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12 Essential Communication Skills That Aren't Taught in Schools at All
“I’ve never let my schooling interfere with my education.” — Mark Twain
We’re taught the basics of communication early in the classroom. To be able to read, write, and speak effectively, we had to learn vocabulary, grammar, spelling, handwriting, and pronunciation. They were, however, focused on the rudimentary goal of imparting or exchanging information.
Communication goes much further than the academics of the written or spoken word.
The purpose of communication is to build and grow connections with others at an emotional level. This is where classroom learning stops short and life learning kicks in. For many people, this transition can be rather jarring.
The earlier you master communication skills, the better for you — and those around you. Here is the cheat-sheet to the 12 essential communication skills your school missed:
Showing empathy
Theodore Roosevelt said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Empathy makes us human. We stop being a twitter handle, a job title, or a faceless stranger when we can relate to the emotions of someone else. You connect with others much better when you show empathy in your communication.
How-to:
Be present with the person and feel what he feels. When someone opens up with his problems, see it from his point of view. Suspend your own judgment of what’s right or wrong. Listen to his emotions. Reflect back his vulnerability by sharing yours. Ask questions to go deeper into his world. Give encouragement. Offer to help if possible. Show the kindness and compassion you would hope to receive from someone else when in a similar situation.
Resolving conflict
This is the bomb disposal equivalent of communication skills. Left unchecked, conflict can leave relationships constantly tumultuous. Avoiding conflict altogether isn’t a solution either, as you’ll often be simmering with restrained frustration and resentment. Conflict often happens as a result of poor communication. To resolve such conflict, you’d need better communication skills.
How-to:
Respond, but never react. When you react to a conflict situation, you allow emotions to lead your words and actions. Responding to the situation means you keep emotions in check and focus on the problem, not the person. Let the other party know your intention to work out a mutually acceptable solution. Very often, the gesture of extending an olive branch is more important than actually coming to a solution, as it shows the person how much you value the relationship. Clearly and calmly communicate what you want from the situation and listen to the other party’s views. Understand what counts as a ‘win’ — winning the argument or winning the other person over. The two are very different.
Asking great questions
To be a better communicator, don’t try to be the person with all the right answers. Instead, be the one who asks all the right questions. When you ask great questions, you show that you’re eager to engage and open to exploring more into the topic. They encourage the other party to share more of his opinions, stimulate discussion, and even create new ideas. He won’t forget you in a hurry.
How-to:
Ask questions that could lead to interesting answers. To do that, keep your questions open-ended, that is, they cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. Let your questions come from a place of genuine curiosity. Consider how others can benefit from the answers. When you practice good listening skills, thoughtful questions will suggest themselves to you.
Negotiating effectively
Many people find negotiation one of the hardest communication skills to learn. They must be nice people. This one of the few communication skills that is mostly used to maximize self-interest. While there’s no avoiding it in life and work, to enter into a negotiation without negotiation skills is to go into a gunfight without a gun.
How-to:
Be assertive. Have options. Seek a win-win outcome. Recognize that if the other party wishes to negotiate, you have something they need. Be assertive in asking for what you want, aiming as high as you think is realistic for them. Listen to what they are saying (and not saying). Gather clues to how much they need what you have. Always have ready options should the negotiation fails — the other party can always sense your confidence or desperation. Show them how you’re looking for a win-win outcome by satisfying their basic interests too. If the deal goes through, it’s wiser to leave a bit of money on the table to enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship in the long run.
Proactive listening
This is the most underrated skill that can instantly make you a better communicator. Ever notice that when someone is a good talker, there’s something disingenuous or untrustworthy about him? But when a person is a good listener, we see her as someone who is patient, trusted, and generous.
When a person speaks, he believes he has something of value to share and wants to be heard. If he is not listened to, his self-esteem takes a hit. By listening to him intently, you immediately build a bond by validating his importance as a person or professional.
How-to:
Listen to the other party like she’s the most important person in the world at that moment. Be fully engaged and present with her. Block off all judgment of what she says or what that says about her. Keep your mind from thinking of what you’re going to say. Listen to not just her words, but also her emotions. The tone of voice, pace of speech, and shift in energy can tell you much more about her. This makes it easier for you to respond in the most appropriate way.
Using body language
You should know that almost 97% of all communication is non-verbal. It’s not about what you say, but the overall experience people take away from their encounter with you. The message you send out without even saying a word is the impression others have of you. As humans, we are conditioned to observe people and make snap decisions if a person is a friend, foe, or lover.
How-to:
Work on the three basics of good body language: the smile, eye contact, and the handshake. Smile at someone from the heart when you meet them. Look the person in the eye when you speak to them, or when they speak to you. Combine smiling and eye contact with a good, firm handshake. Always keep your body relaxed and posture confident. Observe the body language of others to gather important information. Is he engaged? Impatient? Defensive? You can tailor your response for a the outcome you want.
Perfecting the elevator pitch
In an attention-deficit world, it is imperative to be concise yet memorable in our communication. The elevator pitch is a very short presentation of yourself or your proposal to someone who has no more than 30 seconds. Whether you’re presenting a business idea or at a speed dating session, this is one communication skill that will set you apart from the pack. Want to know more? Read on. (See how this paragraph is a demonstration of an elevator pitch?)
How-to:
Distill what your proposition in one sentence. It’s not always easy, but put in the work to come up with something simple and memorable. For example, Apple in a sentence could be “Technology that’s beautiful and intuitive.” Lord Of The Rings is “Loyal friends help hobbit become the unlikely hero to save Middle-Earth.” Give the person a reason to care. Show him how your proposal can benefit him in a way nothing else can. Then end with a clear call-to-action — this is what you want him to do after your pitch. Remember, be confident. You have a good proposal and you know it. When you’re confident, they will know it too.
Inspiring others with an idea
An idea is one of the most powerful and contagious elements of any communication. Having an idea with someone can create a common bond built on the power of shared imagination.
How-to:
Share a unique thought that can energize others, and hold it lightly. Everyone has ideas, but the ones worth sharing are those that are refreshing and inspiring. When you have one of these gems, don’t make the mistake of keeping it too close to your chest. Share it with others, be open suggestions to improve or interpret it. Asking for input to reshape the idea together builds a trust that can go a long way.
Acknowledging others
Acknowledging someone is the act of letting the person know something great about him or her. It is different from complimenting or flattering. The difference lies in the intent. You’re not trying to benefit from the gesture, but to sincerely shine a spotlight on others. They will feel the difference.
How-to:
Look for the good in someone, and tell her how great it is. When we compliment someone, we can be indirectly flattering ourselves. When you say, “I really like your report”, is it about her report, or is it about you and your approval of her report? Try saying, “Nice report, you have some great insights” Now it’s all about her, not you. You can also acknowledge something in a person that few people would even notice, like how an assistant’s handouts are always perfectly stapled because she takes pride in being meticulous. The best communication lies in its subtlety.
Confident public speaking
Public speaking is one of the biggest all-time fears people have. Yet with its ability to influence and inspire many individuals at once, it’s one of the most powerful forms of communication. Think of the best orators in history — Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, or Steve Jobs — they communicate simply and persuasively, making us feel better off after listening to them. Be it a work presentation or a charity drive, you will be put in situations where you have to speak to a group.
How-to:
Think of the one person in the audience who needs to hear your message. As with most communication skills and strategies, focus on the recipient of your message. Believe you have something important to share, and someone in the crowd will benefit from it. Don’t aim to be perfect in your delivery, aim to be passionate about your message. When you’re speaking from a place of authenticity and vulnerability, people will listen to you and root for you. Keep practicing.
Projecting leadership
The best leaders are masters of the craft of communication. How do you think they become leaders? We only follow those we trust. It helps that they are competent as well. Guess what, being a strong communicator does wonders on both counts.
How-to:
Aim to be a leader who serves his followers. Leaders have a separate manual for communication. This would include speaking clearly and confidently, acting with authenticity, listening to feedback, and many other skills. Underpinning these is a genuine intent to put his followers first, serving their interests above his own. Communication rooted in servant leadership not only makes a leader more empathetic, it makes followers more loyal. This deepens their relationship beyond one that’s based on rank and seniority.
Building authenticity and trust
While there are many best practices in communication, here is one rule above all: be true to yourself. People will only trust you if they feel you’re a real person who stands for something worthwhile. Without trust, there can be no quality communication and connection.
How-to:
Keep it real. Never try to be someone you’re not. Don’t “fake it” if you haven’t made it, work on getting better until “it” becomes you. You’ll earn people’s respect that way. Be honest with your shortcomings, share inspiring personal experiences, hold yourself accountable to your words, and speak with conviction. Communicating with others will come naturally to you.
[THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY LIFEHACK]
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DREAM WIFE 'SO WHEN YOU GONNA …. '
Dream Wife = Alice Go, Bella Podpadec and Rakel Mjöll, are back with their second album and as the title suggests, it is a record brimming with adrenaline and playful excitement. Now I could go on and copy and paste the rest of their press release here but that would be extremely lazy, despite the fact that I fully agree with it.
I haven't posted many album reviews recently because I felt that I was getting into a rather deep rut: right from the start I made a decision not to write negative reviews – artists and production teams for albums had clearly invested many hours along with copious amounts of blood sweat and tears to produce something that they believed in so what right had I to express my feelings simply because I hadn't liked the result? My reasons for writing reviews was never about promoting my personal profile – only about seeking to help to highlight great musical talent in the hope of increasing their positive exposure, so I reckoned that if I hadn't been moved to write something positive it would be best to say nothing at all. After all, I'm one of those who first heard Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' whilst working in the Edinburgh branch of Bruce's Record Shop in Rose Street, and along with other staff, wondered what the hell they were playing at – who on earth was going to want to listen to the ramblings of somebody having a bad trip? Well we all what happened next back then in 1975!
So, with that principle established I began to realise that my reviews were becoming really quite formulaic and could pretty much be summed up as follows; “I really like this music – because I have listened to such a wide range of great music over the last half century some parts of some of the tracks evoke memories of other, previous musical gems; I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album and would like to wish the artists all the best for the future and invite you to give them a fair hearing to find out whether or not you agree with my enthusiasm”. Consequently I came to realise that any further reviews would be quite repetitive and I pretty much took a step back from reviewing, with any reviews essentially being restricted to reporting on gigs that I had enjoyed. Given the devastating effect of the coronavirus on the live gig scene since March this year, opportunities for attending live gigs have disappeared. Many excellent live stream performances have been available and I have enjoyed a number of these but haven't got round to trying to review these as yet, perhaps that is because logging on to watch a live stream doesn't come with the same additional experience - driving many miles, parking, perhaps having a meal before the gig, getting into the venue and then driving home doesn't really stack up against remaining at home, sitting by my laptop and clicking a link. But many thanks to all who have impressed me during these live streams, including Nervous Twitch, Not Now Norman and especially Reely Jiggered whose weekly 'live on the drive' performances outside their house have been exceptionally inspiring given Fiona and Alison McNeil's wonderfully infectious enthusiasm.
So, after that preamble, back to Dream Wife and their second album 'So When You Gonna?'; well I write this on 1st August 2020 shortly after receiving my neon pink vinyl copy of the album, the day that I announced my August 'track of the month' selection as being the opening track 'Sports!'. I have always been extremely impressed by these three exceptional humans and had intended to begin this post by referring back to my review of their debut album – but it turns out that any such review is entirely in my head as I can find no record of it! So instead of a brief reference to a TFL P4 bus journey from Lewisham to Brixton, believing that to have already been detailed in my apparently non-existent review of their first album, I will have to explain more fully.
It was Saturday 15th September 2018 and my daughter and I were traveling from Lewisham to Brixton on a route P4 bus when somewhere en-route (possibly the Nunhead area, but my knowledge of London really isn't that good) two striking young women got on and sat beside each other, directly in front of us. Although they didn't speak to each other I sensed a bit of mutual chemistry and they seemed to be very pre-occupied. I did actually wonder if they might also be heading to the O2 Academy for the Garbage gig that we were heading for but thought no more of it, especially when they got off a few stops before us. We then went for a truly enjoyable ramen meal in 'Nanban', Coldharbour Lane. Later, in the venue I watched with amazement as the support band (until then we had known nothing about them) came on stage – the guitarist and bass player looked very familiar – they were the two who I remembered from the bus! Bella and Alice were then joined by Rakel and we were subsequently enthralled by a truly exciting, energetic and inspired performance as we wallowed in our first experience of Dream Wife (the Garbage set was excellent and entralling too, but that's really not the focus of this review). Later, in the wee small hours of the following Sunday morning, as I lay on the sofa bed in my daughter's flat, unable to get to sleep as I recalled the gig, I got on-line and ordered a copy of Dream Wife's album on blood spattered vinyl. For my review of that amazing album please refer back to my intro regarding the repetitiveness of my reviews!
Dream Wife have always been outspoken about holding up other women and non-binary people in the creative industries, but these aren’t just words or sentiments. With a gender divide in music production currently estimated at around ninety-five percent male to five percent female, the band are proud to have worked with an all-female recording team for 'So When You Gonna...', including producer and mixer Marta Salogni (Björk, Holly Herndon, FKA Twigs) engineer Grace Banks (David Wrench, Marika Hackman) and mastering engineer Heba Kadry (Princess Nokia, Alex G, Beach House).
“It was a way of us practicing what we preach,” says Alice, “It felt like an honour to be able to deliver this baby with these three amazing midwives.” “Put your money where your mouth is!” adds Rakel, quoting the lyrics of “Sports!”
In the first week following its release, 'So When You Gonna...' was the only one in the UK top 20 chart that was not backed by a major label, in addition they were the only one band with an album entirely produced by a womxn.
As the band posted, “the ONLY band/musician in the top 20 that is not backed by a major label. The ONLY band/musician on that list who’s album was entirely produced by a womxn. Let alone had a whole team of womxn behind it.
Which is messed up... it’s 2020 ppl?”
In addition 'So When You Gonna...' was the album of the day at BBC Radio 6 Music for 7th July, and it was Rough Trade ‘s album of the month.
Around that time the band offered people a chance to win 'Bender', the loving member of their tour family; a customized silver Burns marquee which had played probably 300+ shows with the band and was a big part of the writing and recording of both their albums. In the end Elina Lin was announced as the winner and she decided to gift the guitar to Girls Rock London – much respect to Elina :-)
So, after all that, what about the actual album that I'm supposed to me reviewing? Well, it's truly a breath of fresh air. The selection of eleven tracks is absolutely inspired, and pleasingly varied in content and style whilst simultaneously maintaining a coherent sound and identity. I refer to my earlier comments about my overall approach to publishing album reviews, but will add that having seen the band's videos does help to add to my enjoyment of this album. Rakel's voice readily evokes images of her cheeky, infectious smile, especially when during 'Sports!' she asks, “do you even play this sport”? I was also extremely taken by the reerence to Kylie in 'Hold On Me', some more pretentious bands might have viewed such a reference as a step too far, but given the make up of my show playlists, I have absolutely no problem at all with this and applaud them for their honesty. In addition the use of archive footage of much young band members for the 'Hasta La Vista' video is really quite inspired.
There are some tremendously high energy of tracks such as my 'track of the month' selection 'Sports!', the title track 'So When You Gonna …' and 'Hasta La Vista', and these are masterfully counterpointed with such intensely emotive ones such as 'Temporary', about miscarriage and 'After The Rain' with it's hauntingly intense vocals about abortion. This album covers all bases and I genuinely believe that it deserves to be given a fair hearing.
In summary I truly feel that any future reviews should probably be more along the lines of. “if you like most of the music that I play in my radio shows, then please believe me when I say that you really should check out ….......”
One other spur for writing this and is that I have selected the album’s opening track, ‘Sports!’ as my ‘track of the month’ for August and am just about to give it its first play. Perhaps in future I should aim to focus mainly on covering my 'track of the month selections which I am very pleased to play around half way through the second hour of every one of my shows.
Track listing:
1/ Sports!
2/ Hasta La Vista
3/ Homesick
4/ Validation
5/ Temporary
6/ U Do U
7/ RH RN
8/ Old Flame
9/ So When You Gonna
10/ Hold On Me
11/ After The Rain
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Changes to rates of interest as well as refinancing is normally not provided but discovered no examples of asset seizures. It is kept in mind that an absence of openness around the loan problems "fuel uncertainty concerning Chinese intentions" in the direction of debtor nations. Debt catch diplomacy is utilized to define a kind of diplomacy based on financial obligation carried out in the reciprocal relations between nations with a frequently supposed unfavorable intent. The term is currently most frequently related to the foreign borrowing techniques of the Peoples Republic of China by the nation's doubters. They must likewise offer further support in the kind of lower rates of interest on loaning over the interest-free barrier and also repayment plans for those that would take advantage of them.
By taking properties off the banks' hands, it enables them to increase borrowing. It reduced the price on the "discount rate window", a tool for financial institutions to obtain from the Fed, and also motivated them to utilize it freely. It recommended that banks can dip into their resources barriers, worth $1.9 trn, as well as their liquidity buffers, one more $2.7 trn, to offer to households and firms, which aided relieve their regulative restrictions. Then, on March 18th, the Fed introduced it would begin buying short-dated commercial paper, to provide straight support for huge firms.
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It additionally relaunched a facility to offer straight to "key dealerships", a group of monetary companies that do not have straight access to normal Fed borrowing channels. If you get financial aid, you may be supplied loans as component of your institution's financial assistance deal. ] indicates that China usually provides financial debt write-offs for zero-interest financings just whilst interest-bearing lendings are discussed independently on a loan-by-loan basis with just the modifications in the payment duration changing.
It began on March 12th when the New York City Fed, a branch of the central bank, made $1.5 trn (an ocean of money) offered for repo procedures. Along with reducing rates of interest on March 15th the Fed introduced it would certainly get up $500bn-worth of Treasuries as well as $200bn-worth of mortgage-backed safeties.
As kept in mind over, under the Short Term Borrowing Act, this is allowed for the failing of earnings. Fitch had assigned a credit ranking of BBB- with an unfavorable expectation to these notes. The State had related to Moody's Investors Providers for a ranking on the notes, yet had not gotten one as of the day of the aborted issuance. As of this writing, the State has actually needed to postpone the bond sale since Illinois's risky monetary situation will certainly need it to pay high fines to market the debt.
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The offer will move forward when market problems are much more positive or it may move on under the Reserve bank's MLF, explained below. At the local government degree, some areas have currently acted to remove fines for late real estate tax repayments, effectively prolonging the settlement deadline, hence significantly postponing the invoice of profits. The Chef Region Board approved a strategy to waive the 1.5% rate of interest each month on late real estate tax settlements that typically would be due on August 3rd up until October 1st. On top of that, there likewise can be delays in the receipt of state profits sharing funds and/or declines in the amount of income provided. This could force city governments, consisting of communities as well as institution districts, to obtain funds in expectancy of getting profits at a later date.
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The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners Review
Imagine what would happen if you took a half-season of The Walking Dead TV show, mashed it together with a Deus Ex or System Shock style of exploration and decision-making, and then drizzled it with the best aspects of a modern VR game.
What you might end up with is a survival horror game that’s oppressively tense and brutal, but also tugs on you relentlessly to explore every corner of its post-apocalyptic world for hidden loot and nuggets of lore. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is exactly that, and it absolutely nails the mix, delivering it with a level of detail and a depth of interactivity that feels like a genuine step forward for virtual reality.
You play as the Tourist, a storied survivor and living urban legend who seems to be immune to the fictional virus that makes everybody else a little bitier in The Walking Dead universe. You’ve rolled into the sunken remains of New Orleans following a rumor about a buried hotbed of limitless supplies called the Reserve, and the rest is up to you. It’s a simple setup, but one that's perfect for the size and scope of Saints & Sinners because it doesn’t immediately saddle you with any presumptions about your character’s morality.
You’re introduced to New Orleans by your old buddy Henri, but the moral choices you’ll make while navigating its several open-ended zones are yours alone. As an Obsidian fan, I was pleased to find that there were several major factions fighting for control of the Reserve, each with their own perspective on the bleak situation around you. One such moral choice involves a mission where a faction member will send you to rescue their brother in exchange for an important item, and it’s fantastic that you can then choose to upend the original mission and kill the brother, earning his captors as allies and instead taking the item by force – if that’s the path you prefer, of course. Saints & Sinners’ ending depends entirely on the decisions you make throughout the campaign too, few of which are decidedly ‘good’ or ‘evil’.
All that choice makes the Tourist primarily a shell for you to insert your own personality into, with decent voice acting that gives life to each dialogue option, much like Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series. By comparison, Telltale’s The Walking Dead accomplished some truly great feats of cinematic storytelling and meaningful decision-making in its hostile and zombie-riddled world, but it never gave me free rein to do whatever I wanted. That’s something I had craved for years when I was a regular watcher of The Walking Dead TV series, and while Telltale’s take on The Walking Dead certainly made me care about Clementine, it never made me feel like I was in that world.
Saints & Sinners scratches the itch for a truly explorable Walking Dead world with the grace and confidence of a well-lubricated bowie knife
Saints & Sinners scratches that itch with the grace and confidence of a well-lubricated bowie knife. The portrayal of killing zombies – or walkers – has never been as satisfying as it is here, and the abject terror of an unexpected walker swarm has never been as palpable. Zombie guts and brains are rendered with great detail, but what really grounds you in this world is the fact that weapons have appropriate weight and heft. Heavy weapons like axes and rifles require you to grip them with both hands for stability, while small weapons like shivs are much lighter and easier to land precise blows with. It’s not as nuanced as a game like Boneworks; you can’t wield just any item as a weapon, but this combat system is far more tactile and exciting than if you were doing it remotely with a gamepad or a keyboard.
Diseased walkers explode and unleash poisonous gases that lower your health pool when killed up close, meanwhile helmeted walkers are far tougher to kill, requiring a complete decapitation or extremely precise blows to exposed parts of their heads. This increased challenge only adds to the intensity of fighting an entire pack of walkers at once, a common occurrence later on, as you need to quickly pick and choose which walkers need to be killed in which way and in which order to preserve the durability of your best weapons. Rapidly juggling my inventory in real-time to acclimate to each fight forced me to be smarter and, as a result, Saints & Sinners never fell into that Action-RPG trap of becoming repetitive. I spent a little over 18 hours in the campaign – the story itself is a few hours shorter than that, but it was just loads of fun to complete scavenging runs and hunt for secret recipes on my own.
The walkers and human NPCs themselves have their own agendas too, often interacting with one another in interesting and useful ways. While the AI isn’t always the most bright, causing enemies to sometimes get stuck in hilarious and vulnerable positions, an impressive amount of the unfurling drama that makes Saints & Sinners exciting is simulated in real-time rather than deliberately scripted. To my satisfaction, I found that many of the quests allowed me to choose my own path to a solution, and it was a delight to discover alternate routes and secrets, even if the map can feel a little nondescript or claustrophobic at times. Even when I was presented with straightforward options for moving through a group of wary human NPCs or solving a quest with diplomacy – or simply by attacking an NPC directly – I could just as easily avoid interacting with certain characters altogether, either by attracting a herd of walkers and sneaking past the ensuing carnage, or by climbing over the side of a wall or up the side of a house. That freedom to tackle a situation so many different ways is fantastic.
And though the bigger story about breaking into the Reserve can sometimes feel pretty thin between long periods of exploring, looting, killing, and crafting my way through the streets of New Orleans, it was refreshing for a VR game to let me define my character through my own decisions in a setting as meticulously detailed and open-ended as this. While Saints & Sinners isn’t exactly the first of its kind, this caliber of storytelling reaches a height that VR had otherwise yet to achieve.
Zombalaya
Central to the tension of Saints & Sinners is that you only get so much time each day to do things before the city’s bells are rung and the streets flood with ravenous corpses. Once you head back to safety you can go to sleep and skip to the next morning, but the number of undead you encounter the following day increases. This creates a compelling risk-reward choice between pushing your luck past dark or playing it safe at the cost of worse odds tomorrow, driving the tension of the entire game.
That dilemma would be perfectly manageable if not for the fact that you only have a limited amount of inventory space, pushing you to think more carefully about what you grab. You also have to continue crafting or finding new weapons as your old ones tend to fall apart at a distressingly high rate. That forces you to make each attack count, which is easier said than done since you actually have to swing and aim with your real-world appendages. With a ticking clock looming behind all that, Saints & Sinners quickly becomes the perfect storm for adrenaline junkies.
Luckily, the inventory management is intuitive and feels great. Picking up items and placing them into your backpack is as simple as throwing them over your shoulder, and to access them again you simply grab the pack off of your back and pull items out of their neatly arranged slots. Meanwhile, weapons can be holstered in convenient slots on your waist and back while your journal and flashlight fit snugly on your chest. This style of physical inventory management has existed in VR games like Rec Room and Township Tale for some time, and it’s far more interactive and interesting than simply tapping on a menu screen with your fingers or pointing at some text with a laser pointer.
This is the perfect formula for some of the most terrifying moments I’ve had in a VR headset
Limited stamina is also a worry. Running out of stamina makes you slow and unable to swing, aim, or run away, meaning it’s all the more critical to land each and every blow with finesse. Likewise, having a strong weapon or beefed up stamina pool makes you feel satisfyingly powerful, but never so much that you can let your guard down, keeping combat engaging even as you get stronger.
If you do die to the shambling hordes, you’re forced to respawn at the start of the map while the day’s clock is still ticking, and you only get one chance to reclaim your inventory before it’s gone forever. As time wears on, high-quality supplies and weapons can become so difficult to find that scrounging up a broken bottleneck or screwdriver in the nick of time is sometimes the difference between life and death. This, mixed with the fact that your health and stamina pools are temporarily decreased when you die, is a perfect formula for some of the most terrifying moments I’ve had in a VR headset – but that terror was met with an equal amount of satisfaction if I could make it back to my loot and come out alive after.
It is disappointing that character progression is fairly linear, with only a few tech trees to branch into – Gear, Guns, and Survival – and no mutual exclusivity between them. There’s nothing stopping you from unlocking every possible upgrade at the crafting stations in short order, just as long as you can find the right components from scrapping items you find in the world, similar to Fallout 4. It’s plenty of fun to use newfound upgrades like the Nail Bomb and the Grass Cutter, and there are some recipes that you first have to uncover the hidden nooks and crannies of New Orleans to find, but it’s too bad that there’s no real way to personalize your Tourist beyond the story choices you make.
Verdict
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is a noteworthy step forward for VR gaming, proving that a Deus Ex-like Action-RPG can feel right at home in a headset. Every one of its many interwoven systems clearly has a level of thought and care behind it, swirling survival horror and roleplaying staples together with nuance. Even though character customization can feel limited and the story is a bit short, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is a fantastic example of what VR can be.
Developer: Skydance Interactive
Publisher: Skydance Interactive
Release: DateJanuary 23, 2020
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4
- Joystick Buff 🕹️🧡
https://www.destructoid.com/--581333.phtml#post
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A Call for Living Infrastructure - Martina Huynh
Mycorrhizal networks are mutually beneficial symbioses between plant roots and certain types of fungi - forming a beautifully complex infrastructure (for communication and the exchange of nutrients) that is alive, able to evolve and adapt to its environment.
Can we merge parts of our inanimate cable infrastructure with existing mycorrhizal networks to form a new symbiosis - to turn our infrastructure into a living organism that can grow, evolve and maintain itself? Can we integrate our technologies better with the natural landscape?
Instead of keeping ourselves busy with old modernist utopias like 'smart cities', can we envision different modalities of living together with our surrounding ecologies?
Imagine if we were to work closely together with a different species. Link our information network and with theirs, exchange goods and services to mutual benefit? This kind of system exists. Just not currently between us and another species, but between plants and mushrooms.
Some types of fungi form mycelium. They are little hair-like tubes that branch out in search of food, creating a network-like structure. You could compare them to roots. Some types of mycelium form a bond with plant roots, where they extend the plant's reach for nutrients. And because plants are better at producing carbon from photosynthesis and mycelium is better at getting phosphorus and other minerals from the soil, they trade. This symbiotic association is referred to as mycorrhiza. Mycorrhizae can connect entire forests creating a complex social network. Research has shown that trees are able to communicate with each other by sending i.e. warning signals through the fungal highway underground, encouraging other trees to brace themselves with the production of defense chemicals. Mycorrhizal networks also facilitate the exchange of nutrients between individual trees. Sometimes a nutrient-rich and healthy tree might donate some of its nutrients to a neighbouring nutrient-poorer tree through their mycorrhizal network connection. This is a beautifully dynamic infrastructure that exists already below the ground. It is alive, able to evolve and adapt to its environment. How does our network infrastructure look like? For electricity and internet we have cables. We dig out some ground every time we place or replace them. But these cables still remain an isolated piece of human technology that have no relation to its surroundings. When we do this we tend to work against rather than with the landscape. We wrap the wires in layers and layers of isolation to shield them from what's around, be it soil or water. If only our cables were able to relate to and tap into the abundant systems they are embedded in, we could have a biologically augmented type of network! Therefore I propose that we merge our both systems and let these mycorrhizal networks teach us. To form a new partnership by joining our human cable network with mycelium networks. Just imagine if our infrastructure were actually a living organism that can grow, evolve and maintain itself ! A common notion is that technology and nature lie on two opposite sides. Can we not break this binary view on technology versus nature ? Especially with the current technologies at hand and the rise of synthetic biology we may see the combination of machines and engineered life to become 'living machines' - that will be able to integrate much better with the environment than any other of our inanimate technologies. And we must be careful not to treat them like 'machines' that we simply use, but to see them as partners to work with. What we should aim for is a kind of interspecific collaboration. Because placing ourselves on equal level as other species, is where I see a new way forward, a mindset / an attitude that is fit for an era after and past the human-centric mindset that helped shape the anthropocene. But the current vision of the future is not one about interspecific collaborations, but looks much more like this: the smart city. Where everything is tailored to man and nature only invited in when its elements are 100% under control - when it can’t be itself anymore. Isn't the point of 'smart' to create something that works well on its own? Wouldn't it make sense to collaborate with a system that is alive and already autonomous? Instead of focusing on 'smart' we could be striving for living infrastructure! How can this to be achieved? First, we need the willingness - as humans - to understand the fungus. For me it all started out with a few very small experiments, where I was trying to get to know the mycelium better, as a material but also as a living organism. I found that mycelium is conductive and can even generate small amounts of electricity. It can transmit simple data streams when connected to the arduino. Other experiments include me trying to grow mycelium under low current to see whether it minds. Or growing mycelium in heavy-metal contaminated soil, hoping it would take up some copper and zinc and increase in conductivity. My dialogue with the fungus was limited to me doing something to it and seeing how it would react. But if we want to work together, we need to find better ways to communicate with fungi. We need to invent devices able to interpret the bioelectric and biochemical signals in the mycelium. By finding a common ground we will be able to listen in to what it is that the fungi wants and what we can do to serve its needs. Instead of forcing it do anything we'll probably need to entice the mycelium to grow where we want it to grow. And care for its surroundings - to create favourable conditions - if we want it to grow well. We need to be open for its input and make compromises. Adapt our tech, by lowering their voltage level. If our devices can become faster and smaller every year, they can also be made to run on lower voltage, like usb connections, arduinos and smartphones already do. At the same time we'll want to select and breed a mycelium for desirable network properties. By enhancing it with our technologies, we will help it to spread and become a very successful species. Mycelium can be bred to do many things, like it's currently being done for material properties at Utrecht University. It's possible to breed it for other properties as well. I think by being considerate with each other and working towards a common goal of building this infrastructure, we can explore and approach this new interspecies relation step by step. And we can do this! I alone can't do this, as a bachelor design student I can but make a humble start. We need people who have the specific knowledge and the means to do this. We need scientists, philosophers, educators, critical voices and investors - to engage in and think more about such interspecific partnerships. Instead of keeping ourselves busy with old modernist utopias like the smart city, can we move on to different modalities of living together with our surrounding ecologies? It will become evident how we are supported by living systems, and how we as part of this, also have our responsibilities and duties. Will large corporations treat the environment differently if their infrastructure depended on nature so directly? To view natural systems on a more equal level requires us to give up some control to leave unexpected things to happen. To let the system evolve naturally with us. Not just for a sustainable, but also a resilient infrastructure. I know this may not be implementable in exactly this way, because my vision is a still phrased by a human. At times the mycelium will not agree with us. And we’ll have to follow ITS path instead. And that's fine. Perhaps what I am proposing is not implementable on this scale. But before we dismiss this idea as too ambitious, I would first need to see enough effort invested in trying! I can promise that just the pursuit of this direction of thought will be a worthwhile journey to take on. Because learning how to work together with fungi is a first step to define a new more symbiotic relation between man - technology and nature.
http://martinahuynh.com/living_infrastructure.html
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Some Aimless Rambling about HTTYD 2, Featuring a 2-Year-Old First Impressions Review of it, and the Unqualified Thoughts of an Undergrad in Science
Alright, keep in mind that I haven’t seen the TV series, and that this is 2 years old and my first impressions of HTTYD 2 after I walked out of the movie…and that I haven’t seen it at all since then. Still, I’d like to think that it still has some value to it =/
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One thing I noticed was that Astrid, Ruff/Tuff, Snotlout, etc. didn’t have much of a role in the plot. Everything that they did just seems like a sideshow with no conclusion or even aim. Astrid even seemed like she got an intelligence downgrade, with her haring off to find and confront Drago. I get that she has a gung-ho attitude, but she always struck me as a more practical and down-to-earth person than Hiccup - and since it’s been 5 years since the original, I felt that she should have had more of a grasp on that aspect of herself. Venturing into the lair of and then essentially giving away information that Berk was filled with dragons to Drago, who had an armada and was a verified and experienced dragon tamer/hunter was …. not a good idea. I expected better from her. I expected her to be intelligent, capable, and knowing that running unprepared to a leader whose forces are experience dragon capturers was not a very good idea. Eret seemed to be thrown in to be the obligatory “not everyone is as horrible and dedicated as Drago” person in Drago’s armada, but I liked his character arc. The romance gags were, in my opinion, unnecessary. And then there’s the fact that Hiccup basically did everything while the rest of the cast stood by and yelled “Go Hiccup!” or was less than helpful in the case of Astrid and co. The pacing was also off. There was enough information in HTTYD 2 that it could have been a 2 hour, maybe 2hr. 15 minute movie. Instead they pared it down to 1:45, and the pacing suffered as a result. The movie’s plot sped up a lot from the relatively slow beginning and middle. We go from Stoick and Val’s reunion straight to the battle, 10 minutes at most for Stoick’s death and funeral, then rushing to Berk, Berk being destroyed, then Drago’s alpha gets Macross Missile Massacred in the face. There were so many WHAM moments at the ending it took away from the individual impacts of all of them. Stoick’s funeral and death in particular I felt should have been given more time. Hiccup had just lost his father, one of the constants in his life, a person that no matter what kind of disagreements they had, they still had their familial love. It’s a major moment for Hiccup, dealing with the fact that his father died, his best friend was the one to do it, and his dragon-taming abilities were seemingly not all they cracked up to be. Seeing Hiccup just shrug it off and not display any other thought about Stoick’s death for the rest of the movie left me wanting, especially since they took the time to do it in the original. If the scriptwriters had Hiccup’s reaction to Stoick’s death and dealing with his grief and working through the realization that even if his world was shattered, everyone else’s was and he needed to be there to prop them up (maybe catalyzed with Val reminding about “an alpha/chief protects his own”) in between Drago’s assaults on the nest and Berk, it would have given the audience a breather from the action, time to process what the fuck just happened (mind control) and some emotional weight to the story. It’s like Dreamworks didn’t want to be sucked into GRIMDARKDERP ANGST that “darker” sequels often fall prey to that they just passed over it. And the constant preaching about peace with dragons got on my nerves a bit. We all know that Hiccup wants peace and companionship, Dreamworks. Stop trying to shove it down our throats. It’s like DW7 Shu with its BENEVOLENCE. That’s about all the complaints I have, actually. So onto the compliments. I really liked how the movie made the HTTYD world darker, still had that spot of hope at the same time. Dragon trapping, Drago’s entire “dragon slave army” thing, Stoick fucking dying. But it still had Hiccup and Toothless prevail with the power of their friendship, with the very nice caveat at the end of “The vikings of Berk are peaceful industrious folk, but if you fuck with us and our dragons, we will end you,” which just goes to show that Hiccup and Toothless learned from their lesson and knows that while peace is all well and good, sometimes you have to carry a big, big stick. The contrast between Drago and Hiccup was really nice as well. Drago represented the older generation, with hatred against dragons because of the loss of his arm and what was basically a scourge on the Vikings. He pounded and intimidated them into submission because, to him, they were animals that needed to be destroyed, and when faced with evidence to the contrary, he refused to readjust because he was that buried in his hatred. Hiccup, on the other hand, even though he lost his leg and his mom to dragons and his entire life was dedicated to earning recognition through killing dragons, has the capability and flexibility to forgive and build a new world. It’s kind of like Gundam Unicorn - the old guard is not willing to forget the sins of the past, and was just stuck in the mindset of “Zeon/Feds are EEEVIIILLL,” while the kids are willing to set aside those same sins and having the possibility of making the world a better and more peaceful place. Just replace “Zeon/Feds” with “Dragons/humans” and you’re set. Stoick’s death was the big whammy for me. I was surprised that Dreamworks had the balls to do it, especially in the manner that Stoick died. I knew that at the end, to fulfill Hiccup’s character arc in this movie he would have to realize that he has the potential/has to become the chief, but I expected that Stoick would act as a mentor. Worst case, he gets crippled and Hiccup has to take the reins. But becoming chief like that? Ouch. The only complaint that I have about that, again, is that the director should have paid more attention to it. It also reminds us just why dragons were feared, after pretty much a movie and a half of cuddly pet dragons. Mind-controlled Toothless bent on killing you was scary, in more than one way. The scenery and visuals were great - the island archipelago in the first 20 minutes of the movie was absolutely breathtaking and reminded me a lot of some of the stuff in Kung Fu Panda. The flight scenes were miles better than in the original. Even though I was watching it in 2D (Age of Extinction took up the 3D theater >=T
), every single aerial scene was, simply put, amazing. I just wish I saw it in 3D, personally.
The worldbuilding was spectacular as well. All the new dragon species, the giant map that Hiccup and Toothless was making (how does Hiccup know how far the particular islands are from Berk? Does he have a scale? A sextant?), dragon society (alphas), and the way that Berk had adapted to life among dragons - the races, stables, a complex hangar-like system for doors, etc. It made the entire movie seem like it really was branching out into different and new places that the original one didn’t explore.
Overall I thought this was a worthy sequel of the original. It kept the “fight smarter, not harder” and the “make peace, not war” theme of HTTYD, but hoo boy it got a lot darker than the original. Toothless was still the adorable ball of scaly awesome that he was in the original, and Hiccup and the others all grew up nicely. The movie was dark, but not in a GRIMDERP way. However, there were some things that were off about it, like the pacing and the occasional “it’s a kids movie” thing, but overall it was a good movie. Not on the level of its predecessor or Toy Story ½/3, but I would definitely rewatch it.
9/10
Headcanon is being more and more cemented that Tony Stark is Hiccup’s reincarnation.
Also, Toothless confirmed for the unholy cross between the Avatar and Godzilla.
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Looking back on what I wrote, I’d have to elaborate and add onto some things:
On the subject of Hiccup’s insistence for a peaceful resolution, I’m much more approving of it now. It’s part of his character development over the course of the movie. In the beginning, he’s shirking his responsibilities as the chief’s heir: all he does is wander and explore the Archipelago with Toothless, doing what he wants to do instead of what he has to do. Thing is, his blind idealism is part of that shirking of responsibility. Viking society isn’t soft. There are people who take advantage of their power and cannot be taken away from it, and those who has just as much conviction to their beliefs that Hiccup does towards peace…just that they and Hiccup have mutually exclusive views.
Thing is, Hiccup has encountered enemies like this in the past, and he’s managed to convince them to his side. By the time of HTTYD 2, he’s had nothing but proof that enemies can be turned into friends. For Hiccup, it’s just a matter of talking. It may take a long while, but it’ll do the trick. And without bloodshed, too.
Enter Drago.
Drago is a megalomaniac. Drago believes with all his heart that dragons are an existential threat to Vikings, and if the other chiefs don’t listen to him, well, they’ll be made to. He’s gathered his forces for more than a decade, and hasn’t had a whit of his conviction drained from him.
What does Hiccup do with an enemy who has as much conviction and force of will as he does, just with “dragons are evil and should be exterminated,” and “I want power at all costs”? You can’t reason with an enemy like that. By this point, it’s become a basic ideological conflict, and reason won’t work. Hiccup will have to fight them.
Drago represents the challenge, the realization, the responsibility that sometimes, there is no redemption. There is no second chance. When someone is threatening those you take care of, be it Viking clan or dragon nest, you fight him. Because it is your responsibility to do so.
This was why Stoick had to die. Hiccup needed to be shocked out of his idealistic mindset of “everyone can kumbaya.” He needed to accept the responsibilities of a leader. Most of all, he needed to acknowledge that he would sometimes need to fight to protect.
Hiccup goes from insisting that every situation has a peaceful resolution, an impossible situation for a leader, to accepting his responsibility, an acknowledging that some people can’t be reasoned with if you don’t want undue harm coming to those you lead.
Also, I’d like to point out that Drago serves as a rather nice dark mirror to Hiccup. He’s literally Dark Hiccup:
The cunning, strategic planning, and exploits weaknesses in his enemies… much like Hiccup exploited the fact that the Red Death wasn’t fireproof on the inside to defeat it.
Drago’s a very successful dragon tamer - by force. Contrast to Hiccup, who gets dragons to follow him by befriending them.
Drago is a very charismatic leader. We’re shown that Hiccup is as well.
They both are connected to Night Furies. Hiccup has one as his partner. Drago killed his and wears its skin as a cape.
They both lost a limb to dragons. Hiccup his left leg, and Drago his right arm. Coincidentally, they’re on opposite sides of the body.
Drago is Hiccup if he was born 20 years earlier and didn’t have his open-mindedness.
(submitted by bingsu)
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Flock Together - Part 5
(part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4) (part 5) (part 6)
The feeling in her heart was nothing short of relief when her mother arrived at the Fox’s den. She’d endured endless snipping and repeated instructions, with no clarification in sight. She had started avoiding them as much as possible, eating her meals away from their clearing and flying off to ‘explore’ as soon as the day’s watcher had gotten bored and frustrated enough to let her go.
You’d think after the first time “Let go of ‘you’ and mimic your reflection” and “stop thinking so hard about feathers” didn’t work, they’d try something else.
Apparently not.
She expected her mother to take her right back to the nest - Kuroko was already rehearsing the tale she’d spin for the Wolves back home, eager to share something new and equally resentful toward the foxes who had frustrated her so. Her mother, instead, simply flew with her until their shadows were far from the Foxs’ den.
“Are we flying the whole way back?’ She wondered aloud, partially looking forward to a trip with her mother, and partially dreading the memory of aching muscles. The old bird didn’t quite look at her, but murmured something negative before dipping down and landing on a tall tree.
Kuroko landed on an adjacent branch, flaring her tail to stay upright as the thin stick wobbled under her weight.
“We will be traveling to the Southern Roost.”
Kuroko perked up, immediately eager to see the location she’d only heard vague tales of. Kokoro wasn’t much of a storyteller since her daughter learned to speak on her own, but she had whispered plenty of tidbits to the fledgeling.
“Your sister lives there, right?”
Her mother only made a small noise - not really affirmation, but not really a negative, either. Something like a hum of acknowledgement, with black eyes still refusing to focus on the younger crow.
“No. We’ll be traveling through shadows. Before we go, I- …. There’s something you should-....” Kokoro exhaled slowly, tucking her wings a bit higher on her body.
“Please be as polite as possible.” She finally said, a resigned note creeping into her raspy voice. “Some may not be kind, but please know you are representing me, as well as yourself.”
Kuroko tilted her head, feeling an odd prickle like she was missing something important. She opened her beak, wanting to ask …. Something, but not sure exactly what she should ask. For a strange moment, it weighed on her chest like a physical thing. This unknown, important question that she should be asking, but couldn’t find the words for.
There were several questions she could think of, like ‘Is there anyone I should know about?’ and ‘Will we have a place to sleep?’ but they didn’t feel quite right. She’d probably find those out shortly. Those weren’t the important thing to know.
“Alright.” She finally said, feeling the moment slip away like a lost feather. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Kokoro gingerly hopped down, and Kuroko felt the slender stick bend precariously beneath their combined weight. The other bird still seemed to be favoring one of her legs, and she made a note to ask her mother about that, when things didn’t seem so heavy on her mind.
Black feathers spread, and dark, smoky shadows seeped out from between them.
Kuroko lost herself in a whirl of endless void, held together only by the image of feathers and the warm thrum of her mother’s heartsoulself pressed beside her.
When and Where they emerged, it had begun to rain.
-----
Kuroko shivered against the sudden change in pressure and temperature, the warm humidity of the air instantly soaking into her feathers. She shook it off, spreading her wings and flying quickly after the shadowy figure of her mother. The landscape had become… a lot more swampy than she had ever seen before.
Trees stood like skeletal scavengers, perched above tall reeds and slow-moving water, bark mottled with age and diseases made fruitful by mist and determination. Willows hunched protectively over their earthen mounds, fingers trailing across eddies and reaching out for an insect to perch upon. A stifling shroud of mist clung lovingly to the waterlogged earth.
She instantly hated it.
Kuroko wasn’t sure exactly it was about the place she disliked, but the area in general just felt stuffy and half-dead. Maybe it was the season, or the heat overlaying the thick humidity, but even the plants seemed to droop under the pressure. She already missed the bright sun and brisk wind of her home forest.
Kokoro led them between the boughs of a huge Ash tree, briefly creating a ghostly silhouette of black wings against pale bark. They landed in the shelter of leaves, and Kuroko was quick to shake her body, trying to shed the persistent dampness that fell in an endless drizzle from the gloomy sky.
“Let me introduce you,” her mother rasped, giving her one last baleful look.
When broad wings pushed out between silvery leaves, Kuroko got her first look at the Southern Roost.
Huge was her first thought.
Surprisingly colorful was her second.
A grove of broad-leaved trees lay clustered together at the edge of a pool of still water. Under the branches was spread out a thick carpet of decaying pink flowers, their fleshy petals curling and turning brown. A few persistent flowers still lay tucked between the dark green leaves, but more remarkable still was the sheer amount of things strung up in the branches.
Strips of blue cloth, purple threads and countless little flashing beads were strung up among the heavy boughs. Shells hung from thin strings, flashing their mother-of-pearl despite the thick clouds overhead. Strings of thin needles were tied between some branches, and half-rusted tools of various shapes were hooked onto others. Where metal wasn’t present, richly colored fabrics hung pierced by spindly branches, half-covered by sun-hungry leaves.
Behind it all, beyond the flashes of color and light, was hundreds of broad nests, layered atop and between each other. The branches and woven reeds created rippling platforms that shifted between the many trees that connected in the grove.
As the two passed the outer line of connected trees, Kuroko could see past the broad green leaves and spotted several birds perched in their expertly-woven nests, watching their travel from the dry spaces within. A few fluttered to follow them, but stopped just before the cover of leaves ended.
She hastened her wings as her mother whispered something like ‘stay close’, and followed right on her tail to land on a lower branch of the tallest tree.
Under the leaves and many nests, the air felt much warmer, and drier. She could suddenly hear the rattle of thousands of feathers, and the faint whispers that followed black eyes tracking them. The shadows practically hummed with shared voices, all of them wondering .
Kuroko stayed otherwise perfectly still as a grizzled old bird hopped forward, but she couldn’t help the sideways glance toward a silver key that bobbed every time he moved along that branch.
“So this is Kuroko.” the bird croaked, somehow even more raspy than her mother. Kuroko dipped her head politely, not entirely sure about the etiquette of this sort of meeting. It inspired a small laugh out of him, at least. That was a plus, right?
“Welcome, at last, little one. We had hoped your mother didn’t scared you off with stories of her misadventures.” Kokoro feigned disinterest, but Kuroko could see the faint bristling of feathers in her mother’s lower neck - a sure sign of irritation. It seemed the elderly crow noticed as well, and his chuckle crew a little louder.
“Well, make yourself at home, then. Not like I can stop you from doing what you please.”
The last bit seemed aimed at her mother more than anything, and Kuroko was quick to follow her swift ascent through the branches.
She felt lucky that she didn’t hit any nests or decorations on the way up, but the enormity of the nest didn’t quite strike her until the two of them had crested the tree, and settled amongst the uppermost branches.
Below them, hundreds of nests spread out between dozens of trees, all woven and connected and filled with countless black birds, all fluttering between the leaves or watching them, or nestling down into soft hollows or little caves within the woven system of homes.
“When the rain lets up,” Kokoro said softly, “We’ll go out to find some food. If anyone asks about your bloodline, say you are ‘half’, and my daughter.”
Half of what? She wondered, but did not press. The enormity of the crowd below her was already too daunting, and she preferred to just sink down on the bark she perched on. Satisfied that she was as small a target as she could make herself, Kuroko closed her eyes and tried to sleep with the faint heartbeat of her mother beside her.
--
She couldn’t sleep.
She didn’t know if it was due to the constant whisper of shadows around her, or the faint rasp of feathers, or the occasional but many-winged bursts of flight that kept drawing her attention. Leaves would shift, unfamiliar smells would waft up, and Kuroko wondered again if she’d ever get to go home. Back to her real home, anyway.
She ended up watching the other birds move about for several long hours before the dreary drizzle started to peeter out, and the constant drone of soft taps over hard leaves had faded.
At some point, her mother had slipped away into the shadows, leaving Kuroko only the vague instructions that she should find something to eat after the rain let up.
Sure enough, a group of birds were gathering at the foot of the tree, scratching in a familiar pattern that said they were hunting for worms. Reluctantly (for she enjoyed neither worms nor wet feet), Kuroko glided down to join them in the thick mat of decaying pink flowers. Her appearance garnered a few curious glances at first, but no one stopped her.
After a few minutes of mutually scratching at petals and pulling up worms, A young, raggedy looking bird hopped up beside her. She obligingly set aside the worms she had pulled up, more than happy to offer the food to an apparent fledgeling. His half-developed feathers stuck up cutely as he bent down to chomp down on another worm.
“Don’t let him fool you, daughter-of-Kokoro.” One of the crows huffed, flicking her tail in an unreadable gesture.
“Tero is quite capable of finding his own food.”
The young crow cawed in protest, but under her curious gaze, his grey ruff of feathers smoothed together into a glossy black cape. She blinked, not sure exactly what she was seeing. Tero hopped aggressively at the one who had spoken, but she ignored him despite the massive size difference.
When did that happen? She wondered to herself.
Tero, and a few of the other crows, now that she was looking for it, seemed substantially larger than the others. Possibly twice as large, with longer beaks and more hawk-like in head shape than the smaller birds that hopped between them. She had thought they were young, but perhaps not.
“Why is there such a size difference?” She wondered aloud.
The small group hushed, turning to look at her.
The small one who warned her burst out in a chittering little laugh, shaking her head and stealing a small beetle right from under Tero’s claw. She half-flew away from his outraged hiss, only hopping back when the rest had settled down, and Tero had resigned himself to just glaring at her.
“She wasn’t joking when she said you were young.” The little one pointed out, hopping up beside Kuroko and gulping down the beetle with a satisfied crunch. “It’s the difference in bloodlines. Tero over there thinks he’s hot shit ‘cause he’s a full blooded demon.” She leaned in to stage whisper, “Though rumor has it, his great-grandfather was a regular crow, and he’s just fat.”
“You’re the only one who says that, Chibi-chan.” The larger bird sneered, irritation plainly showing. She just laughed at him, leaning down to look for another bug. Overhead, a group of crows flew out over the swamp, their numbers swirling together in a chaotic, synchronized dance.
“I could be right, though!” She chirped, reaching out a wing to brush a feather against Kuroko’s side. “Right, daughter-of-Kokoro? His ego is bigger than he is!”
“My name’s Kuroko.”
“-eh?”
The smaller crow looked up at her, head tilted curiously.
“My name.” She repeated, “Is Kuroko. Kokoro’s my mother, yes, but… I have a name.”
Black eyes blinked at her several times, and she could almost see the branches of thought shifting behind them.
“Alright… Kuroko-san, then. My name’s Chiyobi.”
“Nice…. Nice to meet you, Chiyobi.”
The little bird bobbed her head, spreading her wings with a stretch.
“Uwaaaah, what a day. Anyway, I’m going to try hunting for frogs. You wanna join me, Kuroko-san?” Kuroko dipped her head, spreading her wings and hopping up to fly after her (new friend?) companion.
Their path meandered a bit over the slow-moving ponds and channels between marshy islands, heading into thicker mist. Kuroko briefly felt a flicker of unease when Chiyobi ducked out of sight, but the little bird was quick to reveal herself again. She flew down, joining the crow at the base of a gnarled tree, absently looking around for the telltale shine of a frog.
“Kuroko-san, are you-.... Are you really-... Kokoro-hime said you were her daughter, so you shouldn’t make a fool out of yourself pretending ignorance.”
Kuroko looked up, noting how anxious the little bird seemed, shifting from foot to foot, tail fanned worriedly.
“Crows like Tero won’t be kind, you know. If you give him a feather, he’ll take a whole wing. Doing that only hurts yourself, and Kokoro-hime has been trying really hard to keep the Roost together.”
She stood awkwardly, feeling a bit lost.
“Um, thank you? For the advice, I mean, I just... “ The unsurity was back with a vengance, and Kuroko felt the pressure building up. Would all the crows really be looking to her with expectations? Was she supposed to know more than she did? -hime wasn’t something you called any old bird, and it was new information that she wasn’t sure how to process just yet. Chiyobi was looking at her with such an earnest face, she couldn’t stop her mother’s words from blurting out.
“I’m half! Just… just half. I don’t know- I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” Her mother said that was okay, right? Chiyobi seemed to be a mixture of relieved and worried anew.
“Wow- um, okay, you- You pass really well, I mean, not that you wouldn’t- I just, yeah, okay. So… Do you need help? With anything? I’m kinda assuming you want to keep passing as a fullblood.”
“What does that even mean?” Kuroko shrugged her wings helplessly with the question, sitting down on the damp moss when she realized Chiyobi was becoming more frustrated instead of less.
“What do you mean, what do I mean? Did Kokoro-hime tell you anything ? Ah, I’m sorry, I don’t mean any disrespect.” The little bird switched back to polite, still fidgeting anxiously.
“Chiyobi, please, I don’t- Seriously, I don’t know hardly anything. Or at least, I don’t know if what I know is what I’m supposed to know, and the more I talk, the more I think I’ve been left in the dark.”
The two of them were silent for a long moment, small feet pattering back and forth across dewy grass, while Kuroko’s black eyes tracked her.
“Mother didn’t tell me much about the Southern Roost.” She admitted quietly. “Just that it was the North’s counterpart, and the last bastion for the Crows.”
Chiyobi exhaled something meaningful, but Kuroko couldn’t tell what it was.
“You don’t plan on taking over after her, do you?”
Kuroko tilted her head, and the smaller bird elaborated.
“You’re not trying to become the next leader, right? You’re only a half blood, I don’t think that’s even allowed. But- If you’re trying to pass, I wonder-” “I don’t have any plans for leadership.” Kuroko interrupted, feathers prickling at the idea. She didn’t even like having the foxes snarking after her tail. She definitely didn’t want to know what an entire Murder of crows out for her blood would feel like. Chiyobi looked distinctly relieved.
“Alright, I’ll just… I’ll leave it at that, for now.” She gave the larger crow a sharp stare. “We’ll be talking about this later, you know.”
Kuroko nodded obediently.
“Alright, great! Now let’s hunt some frogs for real!”
She blinked at the sudden whiplash, but followed the black wings a few marshy lumps away, sharpening her hearing with Chakra enough to pinpoint the steady croak of a settled amphibian.
--
After that, her days passed fairly quickly, as Kuroko got into the rhythm of things. In the morning, small flocks of crows would spread out, wings beating like thunder as they rose as one from the thick boughs of Mangolia trees that made up their Roost. Directed by Kokoro’s keen insight, they’d spread to the corners of the marshland, sweeping the areas for unusual activity - both animal, demon, and human.
Chiyobi became a frequent companion, often yawning and complaining about long nights before bedding down in the early afternoon. Apparently, Kuroko learned, there were night patrols as well, and most of the Roost took their turn.
It was with some unease that she realized she had not been joining the others on their regular flights around the maarsh.
It was with additional unease that she realized other birds were realizing this as well.
“Don’t mind them.” Chiyobi assured, slipping her an early-season blueberry, “You’re not supposed to be on patrols, anyway. Talk to Kokoro-hime. She probably wants you for something specific. They get all twisted up about Fullbloods regardless - no point confronting them about it. Did you hear what Tero said today?-”
The other birds were polite, of course, but the more she looked for a friendly face, the more she noticed how quick they were to quiet themselves around her. How quick they were to find something that needed to be done instead of sticking around to chat.
“Just nervous,” Chiyobi said. “Kokoro-hime is doing a lot for us, coming back. No one wants to upset her by stepping wrong with you.
“But I’m not sensitive.” She protested softly, watching yet another group of crows excuse themselves for an impromptu patrol. “I won’t get mad….”
Kokoro wasn’t much of a help, usually either completely untraceable, or busy talking to a small crowd of crows, and politeness dictated she not interrupt that.
For all that she was surrounded by peers, she felt more alone than she had at the nest.
At least then, her mother was there for her.
-----
The news of the attack had come swiftly - First in the shadows, then on shadowy wings.
“They’ve returned!’ cried a messenger, breathless as he lunged from the shadows. His feathers had barely collected from the darkness when another came stumbling in behind him, eyes rolling and feathers splayed.
“A hundred strong.” The new crow gasped, staggering to another branch as the group watched with sharp eyes. “Mindless as any beast, with swords of bone and bloodlust for anything that moves.”
Kuroko was only peripherally aware of the flurry of wings that spread like wildfire around her, and the sharp snap of her mother’s voice giving orders that resonated through the shadows around them.
She couldn’t stop staring at the pain-wracked crow shuddering on the branch below, one wing in misty tatters that didn’t quite want to reform.
“Kuroko-san.”
She lifted her head, surprised to see Tero so close. He and Chiyobi were usually quite loud in their arguing, she had once found them by the noise they were kicking up.
“Tero…” She echoed, looking back down to the injured crow. Her wing ached just to look at it. Somehow, the misty tendrils reaching out and collapsing into so much smoke seemed more painful than if he had been bleeding everywhere.
“What’s going on?”
The large bird sat quietly beside her for a moment, likewise watching the crow below.
“He’ll be alright, Kuroko-san. His heart is in one piece, and a bit of extra Chakra will let him mend. ” She blinked, faintly startled at the gentle tone.
“Until then,” He continued, “Kokoro-hime is launching a strike against the invaders. She’s sent word to the Cranes from the East, and some of the Spiders have volunteered for tribute. A bit overkill if you ask me, but she’s playing it safe, which many appreciate.
She was already lost.
“How can I help?”
He was quiet for a moment.
“Can you listen through the shadows?” He asked, spreading his wings to feel the breeze. .
“I- Yes?”
Tero nodded.
“Then we’ll watch, and send messages back to Kokoro-hime. How far can you hear?”
“Mother and I could hear the Roost, from my nest.”
Teru flapped, scrambling backward in a rather ungainly maneuver to stare wide-eyed at her.
“Didn’t she- you, live by the Foxes?”
Surely there was more than one colony of foxes, right? They’re not that rare. .
“About a day’s flight away, yeah?”
Tero made a soft noise, shaking his head fast enough to fluff up the ruff, and letting it smooth down again.
“Alright, you stay here, and I’ll pass messages back to you. Listen for my voice- You can speak just as far as you can listen, right?”
She nodded, trying to hide her hesitation. She’d never tried.
“Stick with your mother. She’ll probably have you passing messages to others, so stay on your toes.” He flapped up a branch, and paused. Tero turned slightly, to meet her nervous gaze.
“We’re counting on you, Kuroko-san. Please don’t let us down.”
He lifted up a bit higher, before diving down and plunging into a black shadow in the crook of a branch.
Kuroko swallowed, and focused on the lingering darkness.
Like the night sky full of glittering stars, the darkness bloomed forth with countless voices, and a unifying hum of anxious energy
“Mother, I am here.”
As one, she could feel the focus turn toward her. Her heart pounded staccato in her chest, breath catching at the feeling of a thousand ears turned toward her. Looks like she COULD speak that far. Something about the prickle told her the furthest crows were grouped together, while the nearest were circling the Roost’s clearing.
“Alpha, Beta, Theta. My daughter will act as my mouth. Send your reports to me as usual, and listen for her directions.” The clipped voice rolled out through the darkness, comforting in tone and cadence. Familiar. The echoing expanse of it narrowed down, like a purred whisper in her ear.
“Good job, Kuroko. Be careful, now. Speak only when I’ve asked you to.”
She nodded, stepping sideways so she could lean against the trunk of her tree. Already, she could feel the Chakra draining at her.
“Tell Omega to continue circling.”
“Omega, continue to circle.” A faint ripple of affirmative
“Perfect. Her mother’s voice was approving, a warm glow that spread from her chest.
She could do this.
Gods, she hoped she could do this.
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Deconstructing Russia’s Coffee Market
When you envision a country with a flourishing specialty coffee scene, Russia probably doesn’t come to mind. Despite being the ninth most populous country on earth, little is known about how its citizens drink coffee, or their consumption preferences and patterns.
Next month’s Producer & Roaster Forum will host a panel answering this question. Organised by Perfect Daily Grind, this world leading coffee event is aimed at bringing international markets together by advising attendees on how to improve sales, access new markets, generate valuable relationships, and foster knowledge-sharing and mentorship.
Drago Lakic (Managing Director of Soyuz Coffee Roasting) will be sharing his insights on entering the Russian marketplace. I spoke to Drago to discuss the challenges of entering this sector, how roasters and producers can overcome barriers to conducting business in it, and how they can build mutually beneficial relationships with those involved.
You may also like Exploring Millennial Trends in Specialty Coffee
Drago Lakic of Soyuz Coffee Roasting, with Edgar and Adrián Cabrera of San Miguel Coffees in Guatemala. Credit: Ricardo Montalvo
Russia’s Past Relationship With Coffee
Russia isn’t a coffee drinking nation, and the drink is still a relative newcomer to their marketplace. Russians prefer tea, with residents drinking about four cups of tea a day, on average. “Today, about 98% of Russians are tea consumers. Tea is too large [a] part of Russian lifestyles to ever seriously decline in popularity” Drago tells me.
During the Soviet Era, coffee was hard to come by, and many Russians resorted to making substitute drinks made of chicory root, barley, and even acorns. During this time, people would go through great trouble to source green beans to roast and grind at home. This coffee would usually be brewed in a Turkish coffee pot, accompanied by plenty of sugar.
Drago says, “Roast and ground coffee [were] mainly imported brands [that] were considered to be of better quality, and were quite pricey. This product choice fostered stereotypical thinking among Russian coffee lovers: [that] dark roasted and bitter coffee is the norm, and [that] only imported brands can be considered as high-quality products.”
To this day, tea dominates the country’s hot drink sales, accounting for around 60% of all beverages sold between 2009 and 2014. This familiarity with tea has influenced their coffee preferences, as the efficiency of using a kettle to quickly boil water before adding it to tea leaves means that Russians prefer a similarly convenient method when brewing coffee. As a result, instant coffee made up just over 60% of the coffee consumed in 2014.
Latte art at PIR Expo 2018, in Moscow, Russia. Credit: PIR—COFFEE Expo
What is Russia’s Coffee Culture Like Today?
In Russia, specialty coffee consumption is on the rise for a variety of reasons. As the economy strengthens and provides citizens with more disposable income, they’re able to explore costlier coffee options. The current population is also made up of a significant amount of millennials, and as this age group becomes more westernised, their tastes are turning towards coffee as a cool and hip drink.
In 2014, Russia became the world’s eighth biggest coffee consumer, with a per capita consumption rate of 1.7 kg. Drago tells me that “[the] Russian coffee consumer values quality and is ready to pay more for it, thus the annual rise in demand for high-quality arabicas. My estimate is that today there are over 150 roasters in Russia and many more micro-roasteries are mushrooming all over the place offering specialty coffee”.
When it comes to coffee shops, Drago tells me, “There is a real hype behind [the] opening[s] of high-end independent cafés…these concepts are setting the new trends for [the] specialty sector, and educating a new generation of Russian coffee drinkers who are behind this organic growth. It’s difficult to compare the development path of the Russian specialty coffee market to any other market, and although it has US elements, it’s entirely unique in a Russian way”.
However, he cautions that “it’s very important to understand that Russia is diverse, in every sense of the word, and since about 70% of the total coffee market is spread between cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg,…generalising on the market as a whole would mean focusing on trends in these two cities alone”.
Drago Lakic at his presentation at the Producer & Roaster Forum in Guatemala. Credit: Amec Velásques
Exploring The Local Coffee Scene
Moscow and St. Petersburg are two of the largest and most well-known cities in Russia, and here, chain coffee shops tend to dominate both these areas. In 2014, there were 1140 coffee shops split between the two cities, with Moscow having slightly more. One in every third Moscow café, and one in every fifth St. Petersburg café is owned and operated by a chain.
The oldest coffee shop chain in Russia is Shokoladnitsa, which has been in operation since the early sixties and has an estimated 420 locations. Other major chains in the market include Coffee House (with 226 locations), Coffeemania, and Coffee Bean.
These coffee shops serve the usual espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos, and as the weather doesn’t fluctuate drastically throughout the year, coffee drinking isn’t seasonal. Many coffee shops also serve a drink unique to Russia called the Raf, which is a steamed mixture of heavy cream, espresso, and sugar.
While the specialty coffee scene is still relatively small compared to other countries, there are a few coffee shops that have established a local presence. Double B is a well known local specialty coffee chain with over 80 stores in Russia, and they’ve recently expanded their reach to Dubai. They also directly source their beans before roasting them at their Moscow and Prague facilities.
Another prominent specialty coffee shop chain is Traveler’s Coffee, which has over 100 branches in the country. Founded by an American, they beat out 36 participants in 2019 to win the country’s third annual National Coffee Roasting Championship. Amongst their many coffee offerings is a Salted Caramel, Floral, and Citrus version of the Raf.
Barista presentations at PIR Expo, in Moscow, Russia. Credit: PIR—COFFEE Expo
Challenges to Market Entry
For businesses looking to get a foothold in the Russian coffee market, there are a few unique barriers that must be considered.
The first would be language, and international producers and roasters will find locating English-speaking Russians to be difficult. Most Russians will never leave their home country, and the majority of foreign media the country consumes is either translated or dubbed. For this reason, there is simply no need for the majority of residents to learn English.
“It’s mainly caused by the lack of opportunities to practice English in Soviet and pre-2000s Russia. Relationships in Russia are very important and it can be a real challenge to build something sustainable in a place where less than 5% of Russians speak English. There is great hope with [the] younger generation, but this is a long shot,” Drago elaborates.
Another issue to consider is that specialty coffee consumption is correlated to economic growth. As Russia’s wealth is heavily reliant on oil prices, this can fluctuate. “Coffee is in its nature reliant on international trade and relations between countries, thus consequences on local business[es] from Russia’s positions on global affairs could be quite tricky to manage sustainably,” Drago tells me.
For the coffee industry to thrive, it will need a strong base of consumers with a steady stream of increasing disposable income to spend. In reality, the disposable incomes of Russians have fallen for five out of the past six years.
Coffee In Good Spirits and Latte Art champions at the 2019 Russian Barista Championships. Credit: PIR—COFFEE Expo
Solutions For Roasters & Producers
There are a number of things that producers and roasters looking to enter the Russian coffee industry can do. Drago recommends linking up with local Russian businesses to help guide them through the initial stages: “Look into synergistic partnership[s] with local Russian companies, where the local company could offer full support in navigating the complexities of doing business in Russia”.
Another potential route to entering the market would be providing beans from diverse regions, as currently, the majority of all coffee imported in the country comes from Brazil or Vietnam. Taking this into consideration could help roasters and producers transition more easily into the market and set a solid base for themselves.
With coffee beverages accounting for only 40-60% of total sales in bigger chain stores and the typical Russian consumer willing to spend between 920-1540 Rubles (15-25 USD) when visiting a café, creating a food menu will have value, helping lure customers previously put off by the country’s national smoking ban. Offering coffee and food to this group could bring them into public spaces, in an unorthodox way.
Current trends indicate that there’s never been a better time for businesses to enter this market, as roast and ground coffee is slowly starting to take over instant’s hold on the coffee industry. “Since 2014, the growth in instant coffee consumption has been stagnating. Partly this is due to the total collapse of Russian currency back in 2013, a rise in inflation, and the general economic slowdown in Russia,” Drago explains.
“Consumption of roast and ground coffee in stores and in caf��s has increased in the past decade, and one may even say that it’s flourished. This trend is expected to continue in the coming years, and I see no reason for a slowdown”.
Coffee grounds falling into a coffee brewing device at the 2018 Russian Barista Championships. Credit: PIR—COFFEE Expo
Despite specialty coffee catering to a niche market in Russia, Drago believes that there is room for it to flourish. While Russia may be slower to catch up to the specialty scene than the rest of the world, the possibilities for producers and roasters willing to get involved at this point are endless.
“If we compare Russia to the countries of Western Europe, where per capita per annum consumption varies from between 6 and 14 kgs, I would conclude that Russia has colossal potential for further development of the coffee market for many years to come,” he says.
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Written by Tasmin Grant. Feature photo caption: A signature beverage is prepared at the 2018 Russian Barista Competition at the PIR Expo in Moscow. Feature photo credit: PIR Expo
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America’s Self-Sabotage in the Middle East
The consequences of these decisions will extend far beyond the region itself.
By KATHY GILSINAN | Published January 6, 2020 | The Atlantic | Posted Jan 7, 2020 |
The Trump administration is still celebrating the death of Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian military commander the president called “the number-one terrorist anywhere in the world.” But in a single hectic weekend after the killing, virtually all of America’s other goals in the Middle East took a significant hit.
The U.S. wants to stop Iran from going nuclear; Iran said it would ditch the last restrictions on its nuclear program. The U.S. wants to check Iran’s influence throughout the region; one of America’s closest allies, Iraq, incensed that the U.S. struck Soleimani on its own soil when he was there as a guest of the government, gave Iran a victory in a nonbinding parliamentary vote asking U.S. forces to leave the country—which a commander in the counter-ISIS mission in Iraq said in a letter he would honor, sparking confusion and forcing Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to deny any plans to leave Iraq. The U.S. wants to keep the Islamic State down through its Iraqi partner forces; the relationship is now damaged, and the U.S. coalition has paused its counter-ISIS operations in the country to focus on guarding against Iranian attacks.
Depending on what happens next, all of this could add up to big opportunities for two U.S. enemies—if ISIS can reconstitute and Iran can expand its influence.
The chaos extends beyond Iraq and Iran, and had been gathering for months before this weekend. It has hit worried allies in the Gulf, who in recent months have seen their shipping lanes and oil infrastructure targeted and have quietly tried to tamp down tensions with Iran. It has emboldened dictators like Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erodğan, who is flexing his strength in Libya after intervening, counter to American wishes, against American allies in Syria. And it has damaged friendships with European allies, who keep scrambling to deal with Donald Trump’s impulsive decisions—and have just barely recovered from his surprise attempt to withdraw from Syria last fall.
Regardless, this could lead to victory for Trump anyway, because he’s made clear his one overriding goal: to leave the Middle East.
Except that up until Monday he was mostly getting further in. The U.S. has sent thousands of additional troops to the region, as well as a contingent of marines to guard the U.S. embassy in Iraq after protesters tried to storm it last week. Thousands of additional troops have headed to the Middle East since last week; another 14,000 have deployed since May. Trump just this weekend vowed not to leave Iraq. But even if he does get out of one Middle Eastern country, he has also threatened to strike into another, threatening to hit targets within Iran if it “strikes any Americans, or American assets.”
Pentagon officials have consistently characterized their repeated deployments to the region as defensive measures. Even after the U.S. struck five sites in Iraq and Syria that the military says were linked to Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah group, which the U.S. blames for the death of an American contractor in a rocket attack right after Christmas, Esper said: “The United States military responded [and] took defensive actions ... striking a combination of the command and control or weapons caches with considerable effect.” Ditto the unprecedented hit on Soleimani, which Trump said was to stop an “imminent and sinister” attack.
Absent more information on the specific plot the administration said it disrupted—Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley told reporters that a failure to act would have been “culpably negligent”—it’s hard to say whether the benefits were worth the costs. If the U.S. did in fact stop an attack that could have taken “hundreds” of American lives, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has claimed, it may have been worth it. The problem is that Trump lies routinely, and his officials just as routinely cover for him. The New York Times reported that even some Trump officials were skeptical of the intelligence, and said that one U.S. official described the intelligence as simply “another Monday in the Middle East.” As my colleague Peter Nicholas wrote last week: “Trump faces the gravest foreign-policy crisis of his tenure at a time when his credibility has been shredded.”
Another example occurred just this weekend. After Trump tweeted he had a 52-target list including sites “important to Iran & the Iranian culture,” Pompeo responded to criticism that targeting cultural sites would be a war crime. “President Trump didn’t say he’d go after a cultural site,” Pompeo said on Fox News. “Read what he said very closely.” Hours later, Trump, en route to Washington after a two-week vacation in Florida, told a journalist: “They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural [sites]? It doesn’t work that way.” At a press gaggle today, the president’s counselor Kellyanne Conway confused matters further: “Secretary Pompeo said yesterday that we will be within the law, and I think that Iran has many … strategic military sites that you may cite are also cultural sites … He didn’t say he’s targeting cultural sites.”
These are the same people insisting that the world is a safer place during the cascade of bad news that has followed Soleimani’s death—even as the State Department told all U.S. citizens in Iraq to leave immediately.
Yet the general’s killing only accelerated trends that were already under way. Iran had been blowing through its commitments under the Obama administration’s 2015 nuclear deal for months by the time its leadership announced yesterday that it wouldn’t observe any more of the agreement’s limits on its nuclear program. The Trump administration left the nuclear deal in 2018 and vowed to get a better one—one that would check Iran’s proxy violence and missile development in addition to its nuclear program. None of those things have happened.
As for Iran’s growing influence in the region, Pompeo tends to trace it to the nuclear deal, which gave Iran sanctions relief he says has been used to fund terrorism. But Iran’s recent expansion started much earlier, with the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which gave Iranian-backed militias a foothold in the country and a base from which to attack U.S. forces. The anti-ISIS fight only empowered them further as the Iraqi government relied in part on them to beat back the insurgents. Iraq has ever since been struggling to bring them under government control. And the U.S. has spent millions of dollars training Iraqi forces and trying to pull the country out of Iran’s orbit. Meanwhile, the Syrian conflict, in which Iranian forces and their proxies have backed Bashar al-Assad, has helped the country consolidate what officials call a “Shia crescent” of influence extending from Iran, through Iraq, and into Syria and Lebanon. The Iranian military has also conducted joint exercises with China and Russia.
And once again, part of the ISIS fight is on hold. Not only have the Americans paused their cooperation with Iraqi units since Soleimani’s killing; the rest of NATO has suspended its operations in Iraq too. This is the second time in three months that counter-ISIS operations have had to be stalled; the first was after Trump opted to move U.S. forces in northeastern Syria out of the way of a Turkish attack against America’s Kurdish allies there.
In the short term, Trump officials keep saying their goal with Iran is to “restore deterrence,” that each additional movement of troops to the region—or as of last week, each military strike—aims to stop the cycle of violence by making clear to Iran the consequences of its actions. The problem is that if the Iranians aren’t deterred, they may take violent steps of their own for much the same reason the U.S. has: to prove that there are consequences.
One advantage to having mutually contradictory policy goals is that when one fails, another might succeed. Yes, what the military calls the “enduring defeat of ISIS” achieved “by, with and through” local partners like the Iraqis may now be coming to an end—it’s hard to be “with” them if you’re leaving. But that’s just the goal of executive-branch institutions like the State Department and the Pentagon. As for the president himself—and even though he’s declared that the U.S. is not leaving unless the Iraqis pay for the air base the U.S. constructed in their country—his real preference has been clear since the 2016 election campaign. “We should have never been there in the first place,” he said in October 2017. “Let someone else fight over this long-bloodstained sand,” he said two years later.
The contradictions are not just between Trump and the rest of his administration, but within Trump himself. He has twice now declared the defeat of ISIS and tried to leave Syria, only to get talked out of it. He professes to hate war, but he loves killing bad guys. What happens after they’re dead is someone else’s responsibility.
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IT’S 2003 ALL OVER AGAIN
It doesn’t require much squinting to see the ways the Iran crisis resembles the lead-up to the Iraq War.
By David A. Graham, Staff writer | Published Jan 6, 2020 |The Atlantic | Posted January 06, 2020 |
The U.S. stands on the brink of an unpredictable war in the Middle East.
The president, fairly untutored in foreign affairs, ran for office promising to pull back from American commitments overseas. But the vice president and a powerful Cabinet secretary, seeing a chance to follow through on their deep-rooted ideological commitments, have pushed him to take military action in a moment of opportunity, ramifications be damned.
Even as civilian leaders march toward war, military officers seem unprepared or at least startled by the administration’s belligerence. The government justifies its actions with vague statements about intelligence information and by claiming spurious links to the September 11 attacks, and top officials insist that American actions will lead to dancing in the streets of Iraq. But it becomes quickly clear that the administration hasn’t done much advance planning or thought out its future steps.
It’s 2002–03, as the George W. Bush administration heads toward the war in Iraq, but it’s also the current crisis with Iran. Each new piece of information about President Donald Trump’s decision to assassinate Iranian General Qassem Soleimani produces sobering parallels with the situation 17 years ago. That should give the nation pause, and raise some pointed questions for the Trump administration.
The public still doesn’t have good clarity on how, why, and when the president made the call to kill Soleimani in an air strike on January 3, but a picture is gradually emerging. The Washington Post reports that “Trump’s decision to approve the killing of Iran’s top military commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, [came] at the urging of [Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo and Vice President [Mike] Pence.” Pompeo in particular had been pushing for a more violent response to Iran for months, and was deeply disappointed when Trump abruptly called off a punitive air strike last summer.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reports, top Pentagon officials were “stunned” by Trump’s decision to kill Soleimani, the most extreme of several options. In the favored patois of the military, initialisms, this smacks of CYA: Having offered the president this option, commanders now seem to be backing away from it. Nonetheless, it also indicates differences of judgment between Cabinet secretaries and the military.
This sounds a lot like the run-up to the Iraq War. We now know that Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and others in the Bush White House had been seeking regime change in Iraq from the start of the administration. Soon after the 9/11 attacks, Rumsfeld began seeking a pretext to begin a war with Iraq. But some military commanders were wary. By 2002, the U.S. was already engaged in a war in Afghanistan, attempting to root out Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, which had perpetrated the attacks. Some generals questioned the wisdom of launching another major war, or argued that the U.S. would need a much larger armed force than the administration intended to send. Dissenters, including Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki, were forced out.
In the Trump administration, there’s already been an exodus of defense officials who challenge the president. Defense Secretary James Mattis resigned roughly a year ago after a disagreement about Syria policy. Brett McGurk, the top envoy for fighting the Islamic State, also quit. On Monday, Pentagon Chief of Staff Kevin Sweeney, a Mattis hire, resigned, though no reason was immediately offered for his departure.
To bring the public around to support the war in Iraq, the Bush administration offered a range of justifications. By misconstruing, twisting, or concocting intelligence, the White House overstated the Iraqi weapons-of-mass destruction program and warned that Saddam Hussein was on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons. Bush and Cheney claimed that Hussein was closely tied to al-Qaeda, creating a putative link between the 9/11 attacks and a war in Iraq. The vice president said an American invasion would inspire celebrations in the streets of Iraq, similar to those after the Allied re-conquest of France: “We will, in fact, be greeted as liberators,” he said on Meet the Press.
But after the invasion, no weapons of mass destruction were found. Cheney, who had scolded the press for not reporting the Saddam–al-Qaeda connection, later admitted there wasn’t one. And while many Iraqis were pleased to be rid of Saddam, there was not the widespread jubilation Cheney expected—and conditions have gone downhill since then. Following the successful toppling of Saddam, Iraq saw looting, widespread violence, sectarian strife, and the rise of ISIS (to offer a drastically summarized version). As many as 200,000 civilians have died in Iraq. Nostalgia for Saddam is common. Over the weekend, in the wake of the Soleimani strike, the Iraqi Parliament voted to expel U.S. forces, in anger over what it viewed as a violation of sovereignty.
Compare that effort to sell the war with this moment. The administration has claimed that it killed Soleimani because of intelligence about an impending strike that would kill Americans, but there are already questions about how convincing or urgent that intelligence really was. Vice President Pence, echoing Cheney and Bush, falsely tried to claim a link between Soleimani and the 9/11 attacks. Pompeo, echoing Cheney, claimed that Iraqis were “dancing in the street for freedom” after the Soleimani strike, and while he tweeted a video that showed a small celebration, it was misleading, especially in light of the parliamentary vote.
Aside from the false justifications behind it, one reason the Iraq invasion turned into a disaster was a lack of planning for what would happen after the initial military phase of the war. Similarly, it appears that Trump acted impulsively and without much thought for what would happen after Soleimani’s death.
The White House still hasn’t offered a persuasive explanation for the authority under which it assassinated Soleimani, citing the 1943 killing of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the planner of the Pearl Harbor attacks—but Japan and the U.S. were in a declared war at the time, while the U.S. is not at war with Iran. Other than a vague suggestion that Iran will come to the bargaining table, and threats of severe responses (including potential war crimes) if Iran retaliates, Trump hasn’t articulated what steps he expects next in the confrontation. And the U.S. appears to have been caught flat-footed by the Iraqi parliamentary vote, and, according to Axios, tried unsuccessfully to stop it.
It doesn’t even require much squinting to see the ways the Iran crisis resembles the lead-up to the Iraq War. Practically the only thing that’s left is for Trump to claim that he was against killing Soleimani all along.
Just because the parallels are striking doesn’t mean this moment will turn out just like the Iraq War did. It’s very difficult to forecast next steps, but it also would be difficult to replicate the greatest foreign-policy blunder in America’s history. The scope of hostilities right now is much narrower, encompassing only one military commander, and while there is a risk of Iranian retaliation, the U.S. and Iran have been engaged in a hot-and-cold proxy conflict for decades. The current flare-up is really just the latest episode in the extended Iraq disaster.
Yet the factors that made the Iraq War a disaster are present here: false and dubious claims; hubristic thinking; lack of foresight and planning; civilian-military divides; ideology eclipsing practical strategy. All of this means that while the Iran crisis may not be a disaster on the scale of the Iraq War, it could easily be a disaster. Karl Marx famously wrote that history repeats itself, “the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.” There’s no reason it can’t repeat itself as just another tragedy, though.
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Soleimani Was Failing
Trump should have left Soleimani alive and in place, but made him operationally ineffective by killing his deputies.
By Kori Schake, Contributing writer and the Deputy Director-General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. She teaches in War Studies at King’s College. | Published January 7, 2020 7:00 AM ET | The Atlantic | Posted January 7, 2020 |
Hard to say he didn’t deserve it. Qassem Soleimani was responsible for 11 recent attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq even before the one that killed a U.S. contractor; Iranian attacks on neutral, civilian shipping in the Gulf; the attack on Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia; IEDs that killed hundreds of American soldiers in Iraq. He was the architect of Iran’s strategy of mobilizing militias to destabilize neighboring states and the brutal strategy of bleeding Syria dry.
While we may not be at war with Iran, Soleimani has been at war with the United States for 15 years. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is incorrect that “this war started when the JCPOA was entered into,” but Iran’s proxy attacks did increase after the nuclear agreement came into force, and they have increased significantly since the U.S. withdrew from the agreement.
The previous two American presidents all considered killing Soleimani as part of the Iraq War effort. And President Donald Trump had been incredibly—even perhaps damagingly—restrained in not overtly retaliating for attacks on shipping, Aramco, U.S. bases, and the embassy in Iraq. American allies in the Middle East and beyond were worried about the U.S. reestablishing deterrence, by which they mean retaliating to show the Iranians and other potential predators that it wouldn’t let them get away with these acts of war.
So the administration was justified in killing Soleimani—but that doesn’t mean it was a good idea.
The fact is that much of Soleimani’s strategy had begun to falter, and in ways advantageous to U.S. interests. While Soleimani fought the ground war in Syria on Bashar al-Assad’s behalf, only Russian intervention prevented Assad’s fall. Russia will dictate the terms of Syria’s future, not Iran. Iraq’s Kurdish president had succeeded in preventing a pro-Iranian successor to pro-Iranian Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. The protests in Iraq and Lebanon were about corruption and unrepresentative governance, which Iran was associated with because of its influence in those countries even before Iranian-affiliated militias responded violently. In the case of Iraq, they killed more than 500 protesters and wounded a staggering 19,000.
Iran’s strategy of gaining depth beyond its borders succeeded because it was opaque. Soleimani’s desire for credit—pictures from regional battlefields, chairing the Iraqi-government meeting that decided whether Abadi would remain in power—removed the plausible deniability of Iranian orchestration, activating nationalistic antibodies in Iraq and Lebanon.
It’s possible, even likely, that recent attacks by Iran on U.S. bases in Iraq were an overt attempt to distract from the validity of protests in Iraq. In that, Soleimani may have succeeded in death at what he was failing to achieve in life. Judging by the crowds at Soleimani’s funerals in Iran, his killing erased fissures between Iranians and their government, at least temporarily.
Iraq, meanwhile, may well determine that it’s more secure without U.S. forces. Trump’s threat not to leave Iraq unless remunerated for the cost of bases built in that country are damaging to the relationship. Who wants that kind of friend?
Losing the strategist of Iranian proxy warfare would be a cheap price to pay for Iran to achieve a rapprochement between the government and its people, and a U.S. exit from Iraq. That’s especially the case since the proxy strategy may have been reaching its limits under Soleimani, and he’d created a capable cadre of deputies.
The better strategy would have been to leave Soleimani alive and in place, but to make him operationally ineffective by killing his deputies, as the U.S. has done with al-Qaeda deputies. Taking out a deputy draws less press, but sends a powerful message; the strategy places the onus of escalation on Iran and gives the U.S. the benefit of a public posture of restraint. It’s what the Eisenhower administration called “quiet military measures” during the 1958 Berlin crisis.
But since Trump decided to go after the Quds Force commander, he should at least have coordinated with countries that host U.S. bases or that have deployed forces in furtherance of U.S. interests in the Middle East. He did not. When the U.S. leaves allies out of the loop, those allies become less likely to contribute to future coalitions, leading to more strain on U.S. forces. Trump also made it abundantly clear that he thinks only of America, first and last, when he tweeted that the U.S. would respond to any attacks on U.S. service personnel specifically. That is a poor way to repay the 78 other countries and four international organizations participating in the fight against the Islamic State for their dedication.
Perhaps the most generous take on the Soleimani killing is that it merely hastened negative outcomes that would have happened anyway. Iran would likely have restarted enrichment at its nuclear plants, and continued attacks on U.S. interests and commerce passing through the Gulf. U.S. troops may have left Iraq, given Trump’s well-publicized efforts to abandon operations there.
As so often with the Trump administration, the problem is less the policy position than the execution. The administration has a way of maximizing the costs and minimizing the benefits of its actions.
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Soleimani’s Ultimate Revenge
In his death, the Iranian general may cost the United States far more than it gained by his killing.
By William J. Burns, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Jake Sullivan, Senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | Published Jan 07, 2020 | The Atlantic | Posted Jan 7, 2020
The death of Qassem Soleimani is a sobering blow for the Iranian regime. Soleimani embodied everything the regime wanted to project about itself—influence, ruthlessness, agility, confidence. He kept Iran’s enemies awake at night, and his theocratic masters sleeping soundly in a world of real and imagined threats at home and abroad.
For years, Tehran’s leadership talked fatalistically about Soleimani as a “living martyr,” but it surely did not anticipate President Donald Trump’s audacious targeted killing. Now the Iranians will seek vengeance—methodical, cold-blooded, and nasty. They will look to avoid an all-out war with the United States that they cannot win. But they will also look to turn a tactical blow into a strategic boon.
Unlike the Trump administration, which cannot reconcile its desire to get tough on Iran with its desire to leave the region altogether, the Iranian regime has a strategy, tethered to the realities, dysfunctions, and limits of the Middle East. Its tactics are often ugly; its capacity for misreading the terrain is sometimes self-defeating; and the pain and stupidities it inflicts on so many across the region, let alone its own people, can be horrific. But it does connect its means to its desired ends: keeping the clerics in power, keeping its imperial project in the region alive, and keeping sworn enemies, including America, off balance and out of its neighborhood.
No one really knows what comes next, not even the protagonists themselves. But as the dust settles, the collateral damage from the strike on Soleimani will likely be greater than the Trump administration bargained for. Indeed, the strike already appears to be feeding the gnarled ambitions of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, by producing a more unified regime with a tighter grip at home; an even more precarious American military position in Iraq and Syria, with the Iraqi Parliament now calling for U.S. withdrawal; and the death of the Iranian nuclear deal and the whole notion of diplomacy with the Great Satan. All this will cost the United States far more than Soleimani’s killing cost Iran. In his death, Soleimani may exact his own final act of revenge against the United States.
One of the iron laws of foreign policy is that just because you can do something, or just because it’s morally defensible, doesn’t make it a smart thing to do. Both of President Trump’s predecessors adhered to that law when it came to the question of whether to go after Qassem Soleimani. Trump, however, is enamored with actions that his predecessors avoided, and stubbornly convinced that he can get his way with the unilateral application of American power.
For Iran’s supreme leader, Soleimani’s killing was both a personal wound and an affirmation of his darkly suspicious worldview. Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal last year had already reconfirmed his deep skepticism about the wisdom of negotiating with the Americans. The elimination of Soleimani may give pause to Khamenei and the hard men around him about the wisdom of frontal assaults on U.S. personnel, but in other ways it returns them to a world in which they’re far more comfortable. It’s a world with a clear enemy at the gate, a mortal threat that makes it easier to control domestic pressures for reform and dismiss international pressures for diplomacy. And it’s a world in which Iran has a wide array of lethal tools and loyal proxies, and a well-practiced ability to manipulate a neighborhood it knows far better than Americans do.
Strategically, the Iranian leadership will see no shortage of opportunities.
At home, it will use the action against Soleimani to change the channel, seeking to divert the popular frustrations that only a short time ago deeply unnerved the regime. Reformism was already a spent force in Iranian politics. Parliamentary elections next month will bury it—hardening the grip of reactionaries and all but ensuring the rise of their choices for the next president and eventually the next supreme leader.
Already tiptoeing away from compliance with the nuclear agreement, the regime will now feel obliged to take significant leaps, including the resumption of higher levels of uranium enrichment. Other signatories can no longer make a credible case that they can get Trump back to the negotiating table or deliver Iran the promised economic benefits. The only question about the nuclear deal now is the manner and pace of its expiration. With the treacherous genie of Iran’s nuclear program heading out of the bottle, a whole series of dilemmas will reemerge, from the dangers of military preemption to the risks of a regional nuclear-arms race.
The wider regional consequences could be equally negative for American interests—particularly in Iraq. For Tehran, ironically, the U.S. killing of Soleimani offers a convenient escape from the anti-Iranian anger that Soleimani’s own policies stirred up. Barely a month ago, the Iranian consulate in Najaf was torched by an Iraqi Shia mob accusing Iran of violating Iraqi sovereignty; now the Americans are a more urgent target for that same charge. Tehran will do everything in its power to make America’s military presence in Iraq operationally and politically unsustainable. It will stoke Iraqi emotions and push a very fragile Iraqi government to demand our withdrawal, and an angered Shia clerical establishment to do the same—tempting an American president who doesn’t really want to be there in the first place. In the meantime, Iranian proxies will continue to try to humiliate Americans in Iraq, and look for opportunities to threaten U.S. facilities.
Even short of a withdrawal, pressure to constrain the U.S. military in Iraq will have serious effects on a campaign against ISIS that is far from over. Trump has made no secret of his inclination to pull remaining American forces out of Syria, and the Iranians will turn up the heat to try to encourage that instinct. Mounting protests in Lebanon against Iran and Hezbollah will at least temporarily recede, deferring the hopes of Lebanese whose nonviolent, cross-sectarian demonstrations held the promise of a new political era in that embattled country.
In the Gulf, our partners are losing their enthusiasm for an American confrontation with Iran. They are spooked by Trump’s oscillation between non-reaction and extreme reaction and the Iranians’ demonstrated will and capacity to hit them where it hurts most. The Iranians could eventually stage further attacks on Saudi oil facilities or Gulf shipping, as a reminder that neither the Gulf Arabs nor the global economy will escape the consequences of conflict between Tehran and Washington.
As we’ve argued before, we’re at this dangerous juncture because of Trump’s foolish decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal, his through-the-looking -glass conception of coercive diplomacy, and his willing hard-line enablers in Tehran. When the deal was in place, Iran remained an adversary—but U.S. unmanned aircraft weren’t being shot down by Iran in international waters, Gulf shipping and infrastructure weren’t being hit by Iranian mines and missiles, and U.S. personnel weren’t being targeted by Shia militias in Iraq. Abandoning the nuclear agreement, on our own and with no evidence of Iranian cheating, started a predictable cycle of escalation and brinkmanship. It is a cycle that Trump has accelerated with muscular bluster and “maximum pressure,” unconnected to realistic aims or careful foresight.
The Trump administration is not the first U.S. administration to engage in magical thinking in the Middle East, but the contradictions in its approach have set a new standard. The president came into office promising to undermine Iran’s regional reach and to secure a “better deal” on its nuclear program—all while drawing down America’s military presence in the region and rejecting credible diplomacy.
At the beginning of 2020, a dispassionate reckoning would conclude that the United States is not only further from those goals than it was three years ago, but also more exposed to the unpredictable risks of escalating conflict with Iran and the vast insecurities of the Middle East, the original land of unintended consequences. The wisdom of particular tactics, including the killing of Qassem Soleimani, is best judged by the strategic results they produce. America is stumbling into a tragedy of its own making. And the Iranian regime is poised to once again reap the rewards, turning Soleimani’s loss into a long-term gain.
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An Extraordinarily Dangerous Moment
To keep his promise to kill an achievement of Obama’s, Trump has been willing to break his promise to get us out of wars in the Middle East.
By Ben Rhodes, Former deputy national security adviser to Barack Obama | Published January 07, 2020 | The Atlantic | Posted January 07, 2020 |
n a november night in 2013, Barack Obama delivered a statement about an interim nuclear deal that had just been reached, freezing Iran’s program in place. When he was done, I walked with him back to the entrance of his residence, watched by the stoic portraits of former presidents. “Congratulations,” I said. “You just made sure that we won’t have a war with Iran during your presidency.”
“That’s probably true,” he said, considering the question. “But I want to make sure that the next president doesn’t have to go to war either.”
Obama was referring to the need to reach a comprehensive deal that rolled back Iran’s nuclear program. It would take almost two years of painstaking negotiations to get there, but the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) accomplished that objective. Under the terms of the JCPOA, Iran destroyed the core of a reactor that could have produced plutonium for a bomb; removed two-thirds of its centrifuges, the machines that can enrich uranium for a bomb; shipped 98 percent of its stockpile of enriched uranium (enough for 10 bombs) out of the country; and submitted to the most comprehensive international inspections regime ever put into place to monitor a nuclear program.
These achievements are worth revisiting, because any hope of saving the Iran deal likely died with the killing of Qassem Soleimani. Indeed, it’s no surprise that the Iranian government has indicated that it will no longer abide by the limits on its nuclear program imposed by the JCPOA.
ow did we get here? The debate over the Iran deal was among the most acrimonious of the Obama years. Throughout 2015, congressional Republicans stridently opposed it. Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia worked to marshal opposition. Think tanks churned out alarmist reports about the JCPOA. Tens of millions of dollars were spent by outside groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and United Against Nuclear Iran urging Congress to kill the deal. To prevent that legislation from passing, we worked frenetically to muster 41 Democratic Senate votes to uphold a filibuster. Indeed, the fact that it was far easier for George W. Bush to take the United States into an unnecessary war in Iraq than it was for Barack Obama to secure a nuclear deal to avoid one with Iran says something deeply strange and alarming about our country and its politics.
As soon as he began his run for the presidency, Donald Trump anointed himself the most strident of the JCPOA’s opponents, calling it “the worst deal ever negotiated.” It is likely, of course, that Trump couldn’t even describe the Iran deal’s terms. He failed to articulate a different set of nuclear restrictions, or to offer his views on the nature of centrifuges that Iran should be allowed to operate, or the research and development it should be permitted to perform. Trump simply wanted to destroy anything that Obama built and to satiate right-wing supporters who had their own reasons for opposing the JCPOA. What Trump could do is lie about the Iran deal, and he did so relentlessly.
Upon becoming president, Trump encountered an inconvenient truth: The Iran deal was working. Trump’s own intelligence community and military leadership confirmed that Iran was complying with the JCPOA’s terms; his own secretary of defense argued publicly that staying in the JCPOA was in America’s interest; and all the other parties to the deal—the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China—opposed Trump’s instinct to pull out. After Trump refused to certify that Iran was complying with the JCPOA (even though it was), even Republicans in Congress quietly refused to reimpose sanctions. And after Trump demanded a better deal, French President Emmanuel Macron offered him the opportunity to pursue one through negotiation, provided that the JCPOA stayed in place. Despite all this evidence and all these efforts, Trump withdrew from the Iran deal in May of 2018 and started reimposing sanctions.
Few recent presidential decisions have been proved to be so spectacularly wrong in such a short period of time.
Trump said that in withdrawing from the JCPOA, he would be in a stronger position to stop Iran’s provocations across the Middle East. The opposite has proved to be the case. Iran has already resumed aspects of its nuclear program that were restricted under the JCPOA. And over the past year alone, Iran or its proxies have shot down a U.S. drone, harassed and seized oil tankers, bombed Saudi oil infrastructure, killed unarmed protesters, and resumed rocket attacks against U.S. interests in Iraq. During the implementation of the Iran deal, by contrast, there wasn’t a single such rocket attack from a Shia militia. Trump initiated the escalatory cycle that led us to this extraordinarily dangerous moment.
It is ironic that the killing of Qassem Soleimani could put the final nail in the coffin of the Iran deal. In the Obama White House, we assessed that Soleimani opposed the JCPOA, and that he led a hard-line flank that viewed the Iranian foreign minister who conducted the negotiations with suspicion. This view was often mocked by Iran-deal opponents, who declared that there was no distinction between hard-liners and more moderate Iranian officials. Indeed, U.S. hawks regularly foreclose opportunities for diplomacy by wrongly seeing the government of any adversary as a monolith. But now, in the wake of Soleimani’s assassination, that debate is largely moot: As mourners flood the streets, all of Iran’s leaders are consolidating around a harder line, vowing to chase the United States out of the region.
We have already seen the consequences of this latest escalation in Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign come into focus. Iraqi leaders are demanding that we leave their country, after Americans sacrificed thousands of lives and spent more than $1 trillion there; new restrictions are inhibiting the fight against ISIS; Iran is casting off the remaining limits on its nuclear program. In the months and years to come, we should expect renewed attacks against U.S. interests—and Americans—from Iran and its proxies. In contrast to the international unity that enabled the achievement of the JCPOA, Trump’s abandonment of it has alienated the United States from our closest allies. And in his other signature foreign-policy initiative—negotiations with North Korea—Kim Jong Un is pushing forward with his own nuclear and missile programs, perhaps having drawn the lesson that you cannot trust the United States to keep a nuclear deal.
In response, Trump and his chief lieutenant on Iran—Secretary of State Mike Pompeo—have sought to deflect blame to the JCPOA. While blaming the Iran deal for the consequences of Trump pulling out of the Iran deal is absurd, this argument should come as no surprise. Trump’s Iran policy was formulated in opposition to Obama, not with an eye toward actual governing. His is a worldview that relies on false charges, hyperbolic rhetoric, and assertions of strength as an end in itself, and not as a means to achieving something. At a Cabinet meeting last year, Trump sat at the table with a Game of Thrones–style poster that read “Sanctions are coming,” as if it were all just a movie, and not real life.
By contrast, the Iran deal was designed to address reality, and discharge the responsibilities of governing. Like any such effort, it was imperfect, and left all parties dissatisfied. For the Iranians, it was flawed because it didn’t lift all sanctions; it did, however, offer relief from certain sanctions and the prospect of further relief if Iran continued to comply. For us, it was flawed because the JCPOA’s most effective restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program expired in 10 or 15 years—but that was 10 or 15 more years of assurance than having no deal in place, and further negotiations that built upon the JCPOA were always an available option. Finally, the JCPOA didn’t stop Iran’s ballistic-missile program or its support for terror in the Middle East; however, the JCPOA did ensure that a regime that has ballistic missiles and supports terror was verifiably prohibited from obtaining a nuclear weapon. That was the whole point. You don’t make nuclear deals like that with your friends.
Indeed, imagine how the current crisis would feel if Iran already had nuclear weapons.
Governing isn’t about making demands on other countries that will never be achieved just because they sound good back in Washington. And the presidency certainly isn’t a movie. When “sanctions are coming,” real people get hurt and terrible things can happen in the real world. One legacy of the JCPOA is that it demonstrates the utility of a different approach.
As Trump confronts the consequences of a crisis of his own creation, he can thank Obama for the fact that Iran doesn’t yet have the means to produce a nuclear weapon. He can thank Obama for the fact that Iran’s nuclear program is set back from where it was in 2015. He can thank Obama for the inspections regime that has functioned effectively. By contrast, the result of Trump’s policy—designed for Fox News sets and campaign rallies—has been a more hard-line Iranian politics, an Iranian adversary that has stepped up its provocations, and a newly unconstrained Iranian nuclear program.
Barack Obama did achieve a deal good enough to prevent his successor from having to go to war with Iran. But now, despite all that work, a de facto state of war exists between the United States and Iran. To keep his promise to kill an achievement of Obama’s, Donald Trump has been willing to break his promise to get us out of wars in the Middle East. In doing so, he has tragically proved Obama right: The choice all along was between the Iran deal or an unconstrained Iranian nuclear program and some form of war.
*********
#trump administration#president donald trump#trumpism#trump impeachment#trump news#republican politics#politics and government#us politics#politics#iranprotests#iranian#iran deal#us iran#sanctions against iran#irantravel#iran#iran news#islamic state in iraq and syria (isis)#iraq news#iraq#peace in iraq#iraq war#save the iraqi people#impeach pence#pentagon#u. s. military#u.s. military#military#u.s. news#u.s. foreign policy
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Text
Kristin Cashore, I love you, will you marry me?
by Wardog
Thursday, 29 October 2009Wardog apparently rather enjoyed Graceling.~
There's a bit in The History Boyswhere Hector is discussing Hardy's 'Drummer Hodge' with Posner and he says something like (I can't be arsed to dig out the correct quote) one of the wonderful things about reading is that sometimes it feels as though an author has reached out to you and taken your hand. I know he was talking about High Art yadda yadda but, screw that. For me the experience of reading Graceling felt rather as though Kristin Cashore had reached out to me and into my head and pulled out of it something I didn't even know I needed to read. It wasn’t until I read Graceling that I realised how profoundly tired I am of fantasy. I am sick to the back teeth of making excuses for pisspoor female characters or trying to dismiss the effect of constant, background sexism. It’s been a long time since I read a book and felt safe to relax and enjoy it, without going in constant fear of the author dropping a gender clanger on my head.
In case I'm not making it clear enough: Graceling is simply fantastic. I urge you to go out, buy it, read it, love it, and then get really really angry at the rest of the fantasy genre. I know I am. I don't think I want to read a book that isn't written by Kristin Cashore ever again.
In our fantasy kingdom de jour, the Seven Kingdoms, a select few are “graced” with super-human talents, and identified by their mis-matched eyes. These talents can be for anything from the mundane to the outlandish – from being able to swim really well, predict the weather or even read minds. Our heroine, Katsa, has a grace for killing. As the niece of King Randa, she has been trained since the age of eight to be his weapon and his tool. But Katsa also organises, and works for, the Shadow Council – a resistance network, aimed at righting some of Randa’s injustices. While on a rescue mission for the Shadow Council, Katsa encounters another Graceling who intrigues her and, needless to say, the mission at hand turns out to be connected to much larger, much more dangerous events. The plot, which naturally involves travel! politics! and all the usual things, kicks off from here.
To be honest, it’s basic fantasy fare but Cashore handles it extremely well. The pages keep turning, there is action, adventure, tension, drama and danger, and all this in a delicious 300 pages. The world-building is deft and even the concept of the Graced, which struck me initially as being rather dubious, comes across plausibly. Basically Graceling is competent across the board: excellent writing, snappy dialogue, fantastic characters, I couldn’t ask for more. It is a little bit rough around the edges, as one might expect of a first novel – the pace falters occasionally, some sections seem a little hurried compared to others, and there are a couple of things that don’t entirely come off. For example, I wasn’t especially convinced that a girl of Katsa’s age and temperament would have managed to administrate something like the Shadow Council. And I was also slightly irritated by one of the squabbling Seven Kingdoms so blatantly being designated The Good Kingdom Where The Nice Relatively Non Judgemental People Come From, but, truthfully, it was also kind of a relief.
And, equally, although the villain is genuinely terrifying in concept, his presence is a muted one for most the book, until the very end whereupon he is dealt with rather abruptly. The villain in question is altogether a little bit difficult actually. It’s refreshing that the characters recognise him as the villain at about the same time the reader does and I don’t even mind the fact we’re distanced from him, since this is Katsa’s book, not his. But he’s pretty much invincible until the point at which he’s destroyed, which leads to a rather hollow feeling at the moment of victory. And his ill-deeds over the course of the book stack up to the point that it seems as though he’s just evil for the sake of being evil. It’s not that I demand moral ambiguity from villains but when they’re cutting up kittens for shits and giggles they’ve crossed the line into cartoonish. The truly bewildering thing about it is that as soon as I finished Graceling, I started on Cashore’s next book, Fire, and the prologue offers us just enough information about him to turn him back to terrifying. I have no idea why this isn’t in Graceling. It even makes the kitten killing make sense.
In general, therefore: extremely competent, slightly generic fantasy, in need of a little polish here and there. But the thing about Graceling that is truly astonishingly amazingly fantastic is its approach to female characters, and the solid gold gender-issues awareness that saturates the entire book. It’s simply wonderful to read a book so sensible and sorted and safe. Take the little things. During her travels, Katsa tries to book passage on a ship to take her out of danger. She runs in trouble with the crew for untrustworthy appearance and the fact she is so obviously in flight from something, so they take her to meet the Captain, about whom they all speak with affection and a great deal of respect. This is the Captain:
She was a woman past childbearing years, her hair steel grey and pulled tightly into a knot at the nape of her neck. Her clothing like that of the sailors: brown trousers, brown coat, heavy boots, and a knife at her belt. Her left eye pale grey, her right a blue as brilliant as Katsa’s blue eye. Her face stern, and her gaze, as she turned to the two strangers, quick and piercing.
Kristin Cashore, I love you, will you marry me. Thank you for the attractive, competent mature female sea Captain, thank you, thank you, thank you. The worst of it was, until the moment they met her, it hadn’t crossed my mind that the character would – and could – be a woman. Graceling is peopled with, err, people. Man persons and woman persons, all of them realised, rounded, fleshed out, admirable and not so admirable. It’s the first time in a very long time that I had a sense of a world in which any character in it was as likely to be a woman as be a man. That’s so damnably important, I can’t believe I’d ever forgotten it.
As for Katsa herself, I just adored her, adored her and wanted to be her, which, again, is the sign of an excellent female character if you ask me. Given her Grace, she is exceptionally kick-ass, but she possesses enough flaws to be human. It was hugely pleasurable to revel in her strength and her courage, and relax into a book where the heroine can take care of herself and isn’t going to be fondled by rough barbarian hands any time soon. The hero, Prince ‘Po’ Greenleaf, the Graceling Katsa meets on her rescue mission, is an equally successful character, and a perfect match for Katsa. I don’t say this lightly but by about halfway through I was head over heels in love with him myself.
I’ve read a few reviews which found the relationship between Katsa and Po unsatisfying, claiming that Katsa has to be “emotionally rescued” by a man. I didn’t see this at all. It’s true that Katsa is strong, surly and not very good with her emotions, and Po is a much lighter, much more emotionally intelligent character, but I never got a sense of their relationship being any other than based on mutuality. And personally I appreciated the gender-role reversal – the alpha heroine and the man who isn’t afraid of her.
He laughed “You may hunt for my food and protect me when we’re attacked, if you like. I’ll thank you for it.” “But I’d never need to protect you, if we were attacked. And I doubt you need me to do your hunting, either.” “True. But you’re better than I am, Katsa. And it doesn’t humiliate me.” He fed a branch to the fire. “It humbles me. But it doesn’t humiliate me.”
You know, I think that’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever read.
Okay, I’m giving up now. This is a terrible excuse for a review. But, in my defence, positive reviews are harder to write than negative ones, and I genuinely don’t want to spoil Graceling for anyone. I do, however, think you should read it and I hope at the very least I’ve convinced you of that. Fantasy needs more of this!
Themes:
Books
,
Sci-fi / Fantasy
~
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~Comments (
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C J Morgan
at 18:26 on 2009-10-29Man, you Brits get the best book covers. I went to buy this book, and I never would have looked twice at it, if I had seen the American cover:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547258305/ref=s9_simz_gw_s0_p14_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=04DJ2FA20F5JCARHVJ9T&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846
I mean, seriously now...
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http://ptolemaeus.livejournal.com/
at 02:07 on 2009-10-30
This is a terrible excuse for a review.
If you say so; you sold me on the book, one way or the other! Oh, how I love a good feminist-friendly fantasy...
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Bryn
at 02:17 on 2009-10-30What Ptolemaeus said. Kyra, you've sold another book! :)
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http://katsullivan.insanejournal.com/
at 06:45 on 2009-10-30I enjoyed Graceling a lot. I think my favorite scene in any of the books I've read in recent years is Katsa and Bitterblue trekking through the snow and surviving. I had shivers up and down my spine as I read that bit. A lot of reviews thought it was boring but I thought it was one of most powerful and vivid bits of writing I've ever seen. I really loved the relationship between these two young women.
Katsa's Grace is not the Grace to kill but the Grace to survive.
The villian, unfortunately, was the weakest aspect of the book and the weakest aspect of any book I've read in recent years. I did like the ignominious way he died and the way he was so villainous. But the cutting kittens and little girls was, as you said, just plain cartoonish. And I read Fire hoping to find out a little bit of why he was bent but all Cashore seemed to say was that some people are born eveeel. Which isn't very profound or original.
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Wardog
at 12:13 on 2009-10-30@CJ
God, that is a horribly generic cover - doesn't do the book any sort of justice. I really like the English covers for both Graceling and
Fire
, I think they're beautiful. Fire is a little bit silly - why is she wearing that ballgown and trying to shoot an arrow - but Graceling is awesome. It's attractive and communicates "kick ass woman" without being hideously in your face about it. And look at her there, wearing clothing appropriate to kicking ass. No bare legs and pointless cleavage.
@Ptolemaeus and Bryn - well I tend to prefer reviews to be a bit more analytical but I didn't want to analyse Graceling and spoil the pleasure for others. And all I really wanted to say was "ohmygodthisisawesome*. But, yes, do read it, it's thoroughly excellent feminist fantasy. MOAR! I want MOAR of this!
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Wardog
at 12:21 on 2009-10-30Kat, that's one of my favourite scenes as well. I actually cried. I don't know why because I knew the narrative demanded they survive but they were both being so *brave* and I loved them both so much... *embarrassed* Also I adored Bitterblue. So rare to find a child I can stand in fiction and there she was.
Also, I know Katsa's grace is survival not killing but the moment you find that out is quite important for both Katsa and the reader - basically I thought it constituted a spoiler so I obfuscated it.
Leck is certainly the weakest aspect of the book, I agree, but I thought Fire made more sense of him. I've only read half of Fire so maybe there's more to come but I thought Cashore was going for A Clockwork Orange vibe rather than a "some people are born evil" message. The point is, I think, that you can argue that people are born literally amoral. And the thing is, Leck is born with incredible power over human beings, without any social or moral structures around him. You *would* in fact turn into a complete sociopath under those conditions. In fact, why *wouldn't* you? I think you can probably see a similar thing in Cansel?
It also really helped illuminate the rather hostile attitude to the Graced - I mean, yes, you would hate and fear these people if just one of them could bend the world to his will with a word.
*shudder*
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Arthur B
at 13:56 on 2009-10-30An interesting travel sequence in a fantasy novel? That's even rarer than decent treatment of women.
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http://mary-j-59.livejournal.com/
at 14:58 on 2009-10-31My sister has also raved about both these books, and I'm certainly going to read them, but have been putting it off lest it queer my pitch. But what you have said about the travel sequence reminds me:
I simply love both Sam and Frodo's trek through Mordor and Genly Ai and Harth rem ir Estraven's trek over the ice. (that last in Le Guin's "Left Hand of Darkness") I am half wondering if Cashore could have been influenced by Le Guin?
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http://barefoottomboy.livejournal.com/
at 04:53 on 2009-11-02Long-ish time lurker, first-time commenter.
I have to say, Ferretbrain has been an excellent source of book recommendations (
Finnikin of the Rock
,
On the Jellicoe Road
,
Feeling Sorry for Celia
- couldn't find
The Year of Secret Assignments
in my library, but borrowed FSrC, which is by the same author, instead), and I am
massively! overexcited!
about tracking down
Graceling
as well. Feminist fantasy?! Hurrah!
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Dan H
at 10:58 on 2009-11-02Just FYI, in some countries "The Year of Secret Assignments" was called something like "Finding Cassie Crazy". They changed the name for the UK market.
Welcome to FB
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Dan H
at 11:07 on 2009-11-02
Also, I know Katsa's grace is survival not killing but the moment you find that out is quite important for both Katsa and the reader - basically I thought it constituted a spoiler so I obfuscated it.
I'm about halfway through Graceling and one of the things I've found interesting is the fact that while people *outside* the text talk about Graces in quite simplistic terms (her Grace is killing, her Grace is surviving) the way they actually work *within* the text is actually rather more complex. Po's grace, for example, demonstrably *does* make him a better fighter, even though it isn't specifically "fighting".
One rather wonders if Cashore isn't making a specific point about labels...
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Wardog
at 14:29 on 2009-11-02
An interesting travel sequence in a fantasy novel
Well, there's more character than geography which I think is what makes the difference ;)
@Mary.J
I wouldn't like to guess at Cashore's influences but I really enjoyed Left Hand of Darkness as well. I'm generally not big fan of the travel narrative but watching two people develop their relationship while throw upon each for survival is really satisfying. I'll just add my voice to your sister's - you should really read Graceling. From the little I know of your tastes from your comments, I suspect you'll really love it - at least, I hope you will :)
@Barefoottomboy
I shall just echo Dan's welcome - and I hope you enjoy Graceling. I'm feeling kind of anxious now since I've made such a big deal of recommending this book to all and sundry in case somebody hates it. But, hell, Dan is reading it right now and he likes it and Dan doesn't like anything ;)
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Robinson L
at 15:00 on 2009-11-02
Kyra: This is a terrible excuse for a review. Ptolemaeus: If you say so; you sold me on the book, one way or the other! Oh, how I love a good feminist-friendly fantasy...
I'd offer to race you to finishing it, but I just discovered the library out here has it on playaway, so that wouldn't really be sporting. (Three copies, too, it must've made quite a splash with someone.)
Thirded on the review. Personally, I was just about sold on the title. If Kyra Smith is that enthusiastic over a book, 9 of 10 says that book is awesome.
As for the UK covers, for both
Graceling
and
Fire
I find they look gorgeous until I take a good close-up look at the faces, at which point I feel like I've suddenly stumbled into the Uncanny Valley.
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Arthur B
at 15:05 on 2009-11-02I am not 100% sold on the UK cover. Bare arms out on the tundra?
Really?
Her Grace might be for survival but there is such a thing as tempting fate.
That said, I am a sucker for narratives about people freezing to death so I will pick it up anyway.
The Left Hand of Darkness
, the ending of
Frankenstein
,
The South Side of the Sky
by Yes...
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Niall
at 17:15 on 2009-11-02Opinions do vary on the UK cover. Since having it
pointed out
to me that the sword wouldn't fit into the sheath, it's all I can see. (Well, that and the similarity to Justina Robson's Quantum Gravity covers.)
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Rami
at 19:29 on 2009-11-02
(Well, that and the similarity to Justina Robson's Quantum Gravity covers.)
Ah, but the Quantum Gravity covers are consistent on both sides of the pond...
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http://barefoottomboy.livejournal.com/
at 04:20 on 2009-11-03@Dan and Kyra: thanks for the welcome!
@Dan: yup, it's called
Finding Cassie Crazy
in Australia, it was just that someone had borrowed it last time I checked the library.
@Kyra: Well, I read
Jellicoe Road
on your strong recommendation and absolutely loved it, so I wouldn't worry. :-)
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Wardog
at 10:31 on 2009-11-04"That is a mighty big sword you have there, little lady.."
Sigh. Now I'm obsessing about it too, damn you Niall. But at least the UK cover says something - even if what it says is "impractical kick-ass chick", whereas the US cover says "blah."
To be fair, I quite like the Quantum Gravity covers as well...I guess I'm a little bit primitive in my tastes.
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Niall
at 12:15 on 2009-11-04
consistent on both sides of the pond.
Not completely: in the US, the
first book
comes with
extra man
. (Er, apologies for wandering completely off-topic.)
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Wardog
at 12:43 on 2009-11-04No worries - but that's actually kind of weird. Did they think the US wouldn't be into a book that didn't have sufficient man in it? Is that supposed to be Zal do you think?
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Arthur B
at 12:50 on 2009-11-04For me it's not the size of the sword which is distracting - I could write that off as dodgy perspective.
It's the fact that she's got a straight sword but her scabbard is
clearly curved
which, to me, is definitive proof that the artist just wasn't thinking things through.
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Guy
at 15:13 on 2009-11-04Just playing devil's advocate here, but, could the curve of the scabbard be explained by it being made of leather and hence, liable to bend in the middle when it doesn't have a sword in it? Actually, I can't convince myself that that's what it is. The base of the blade appears to be twice the width of the scabbard. Actually, maybe it's better not to focus too much on the details - as an overall composition, the picture works for me.
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Robinson L
at 22:36 on 2009-11-16It didn't strike me as generic, exactly. There's a weird fantasy category in my head that seems to be neither stereotypical nor particularly imaginative - it's sort of a fantasy neutral to my way of thinking.
Graceling
fits in that category. (Similarly, the story itself struck me as okay-edging-to-really-good-at-times.)
This is the Captain
And she is indeed quite badass, considering what she was willing to put herself and her crew through if necessary.
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Wardog
at 11:09 on 2009-11-17To be honest, I don't think that's a simple distinction to make. I mean, I've read plenty of absolutely excellent, thoroughly imaginative fantasy novels that were also quite defined by genre tropes, but equally stuff that has been touted as amazingly 'original' has ended up being quite disappointing, and actually not that original. The point being that there's nothing actually inherently wrong about working within your genre, it's just "original" has an implicit value judgement of "better" attached to it.
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Robinson L
at 15:00 on 2009-11-18Crap! Loginfail seems to've eaten the rest of my comment.
To explain what I've already said: I wasn't attempting to tie the two thoughts together. I just said that the setting struck me as neither generic nor imaginative, I consider it neutral on that axis. Then I happened to mention that additionally, the storyline for me occupies a similar position on the entertaining/meaningful axis. I did not mean to imply that the two axes are interchangeable.
Now as to what I'd intend to say earlier: I also felt that Katsa's and Po's relationship worked quite well. I think Cashore gave them just enough buildup to make the payoff truly satisfying, but not so much as to have the sexual tension between them wear out its welcome. I was also very pleased that finding the Right Guy for her did not at all change her attitudes toward either marriage or motherhood. I love how she's able to find love without contorting herself to fit her man's desires/society's expectations of her.
On the other hand, I kinda wish Cashore had given us a better sense of the cultural context of the seven kingdoms so I could have a clearer idea of why it didn't even
occur
to Katsa that she could sleep with Po without marrying him. Preferably, something other than “Katsa is a bit of dunce.”
The other thing I wanted to say was that while the female characters in
Graceling
were great, in terms of sheer numbers they were rather crowded out (or should I say “swamped”) by the male supporting cast. I do hope
Fire
has a more egalitarian f/m breakdown.
And does anyone else get a relationship vibe between Katsa's cousin (Raffan? Rathan?) and his assistant, Ban?
I don't have much evidence, just this nagging suspicion I developed in that scene where Katsa asks him “you're not in love with me too, are you?” and they both burst out laughing—almost as though they're sharing a private joke. And otherwise, Ban seems completely extraneous to the plot. Plus there's the speculative fiction rule which states that any suitable member of the other sex
not
madly in love with the protagonist must already be engaged in a loving relationship, or gay, or both.
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Wardog
at 15:13 on 2009-11-18Just the idea of an axis, or rather axes, is totally alien to me - in the sense that it's not the way I would choose to look at a text. Also why is being entertaining opposed to being meaningful, I found Graceling both entertaining and meaningful.
I noticed a balance in the gender of the suppporting but then I don't think I was counting. What mattered to me than quantity was that each of the female characters were whole human beings, with non-stereotypical roles to play.
And, yes, I think it's pretty clear that Raffin and Ban are gay.
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Dan H
at 17:29 on 2009-11-18Playing numbers games with gender is always a bit difficult because not all fictional characters are created equal.
I'd also suggest that the mostly-male supporting cast is, in the case of Graceling, actually extremely important. One of the big features of Katsa's emotional development is that she grew up in a male-dominated society surrounded almost entirely by men.
The way Graceling deals with gender issues is actually quite subtle and complex, and there are very few characters whose gender is accidental or arbitrary.
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Robinson L
at 22:02 on 2009-11-18Well Kyra, I guess we just think about these things a little differently.
I did not, however, intend to create a dichotomy between "entertaining" and "meaningful" (I really must take more care when writing these comments). I guess the term I was reaching for might better be described as "story quality," and instead of saying that, I came up with "entertaining
and/or
meaningful."
The imbalance is perhaps a bit more noticeable in a full casted audio dramatization. While I agree that fully realized and well-developed female characters are preferable to large numbers of female characters, I feel that both would be better still.
As you say Dan, not all fictional characters are created equal. Looked at in that light, the most important supporting female character is a prepubescent girl who strikes me as more than a little Mary-Sueish (not that I dislike her, but tell me she isn't a little
too
perfect). Compared to a fistful of equally important (or near enough) supporting male characters.
I can accept the argument that Cashore may have weighted the scale so heavily on the male side as part of the novel's discourse. If so, though, I hope she doesn't try pulling something similar in
Fire
, as I don't see what good rehashing the same territory she explored in
Graceling
would do.
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http://katsullivan.insanejournal.com/
at 10:27 on 2009-11-19
<q>not that I dislike her, but tell me she isn't a little too perfect</q>
I love Bitterblue!
But yes, she is a bit too perfect as well. :) I never quite grasped exactly how she was able to resist her father's influence so thoroughly. It would have been a different thing if Bitterblue remembered
seeing
her mother being killed by him; and then she'd have a visual weapon to use whenever he tried his Jedi powers on her. As it is, she's just speshul that way. :p
Still... I really love Bitterblue and I'm looking forward to the book with her as the main character. Does it count when you don't
mind
that the character is perfect?
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http://katsullivan.insanejournal.com/
at 10:28 on 2009-11-19
not that I dislike her, but tell me she isn't a little too perfect
I love Bitterblue!
But yes, she is a bit too perfect as well. :) I never quite grasped exactly how she was able to resist her father's influence so thoroughly. (It would have been a different thing if Bitterblue remembered
seeing
her mother being killed by him; and then she'd have a visual weapon to use whenever he tried his Jedi powers on her.)
Still... I really love Bitterblue and I'm looking forward to the book with her as the main character. Does it count when you don't
mind
that the character is perfect?
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Wardog
at 11:07 on 2009-11-19Kat, agreed - I adore Bitterblue too. She is incredibly brave and incredibly strong but I didn't get too much of a Mary-Sue perfection vibe from her, to be honest. She's also tired, fretful, snappy, and hindered in all things by the fact she's a child with only limited strength and understanding. But, yes, I can't wait for Bitterblue either - I'm especially to see Cashore write a heroine without special powers of any kind.
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Dan H
at 11:21 on 2009-11-19
I can accept the argument that Cashore may have weighted the scale so heavily on the male side as part of the novel's discourse. If so, though, I hope she doesn't try pulling something similar in Fire, as I don't see what good rehashing the same territory she explored in Graceling would do.
Umm ... I'm not sure what you're saying here.
The "territory" Cashore explores in Graceling can broadly be described as "being a woman". One might think there was enough material there to sustain two books, possibly even three?
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Robinson L
at 15:30 on 2009-11-19I love Bitterblue as well. However, it seems to me her incredible empathy, intelligence (heck, even wisdom) and stoicism vastly overshadow her flaws. As far as I'm concerned, a Mary-Sue is still a Mary-Sue, even if you don't mind that the character is too perfect. (I quite liked Jenny, the Doctor's Daughter from the
Doctor Who
episode of the same title, but she was still an incredible Mary-Sue.)
The "territory" Cashore explores in Graceling can broadly be described as "being a woman". One might think there was enough material there to sustain two books, possibly even three?
Tut-tut, my good man. Four, surely. Maybe five, at the outside.
But I was responding to your thesis that the specific way she explored "being a woman" in
Graceling
was one which required a majority-male supporting cast. And I say that if so, well enough, but if her next book just so happens also to have a majority-male supporting cast, I'll be more inclined to get disappointed/irritated.
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Arthur B
at 18:16 on 2009-11-19
I love Bitterblue as well. However, it seems to me her incredible empathy, intelligence (heck, even wisdom) and stoicism vastly overshadow her flaws. As far as I'm concerned, a Mary-Sue is still a Mary-Sue, even if you don't mind that the character is too perfect.
By this logic any character whose positive qualities outweigh their flaws is a Mary Sue.
What's wrong with having a character who is smart, empathetic, and stoic? Such people do exist in the real world.
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Dan H
at 19:03 on 2009-11-19
But I was responding to your thesis that the specific way she explored "being a woman" in Graceling was one which required a majority-male supporting cast. And I say that if so, well enough, but if her next book just so happens also to have a majority-male supporting cast, I'll be more inclined to get disappointed/irritated.
Okay, let me put this more specifically.
What Kristin Cashore explores in Graceling is the experience of growing up as a woman in a male-dominated society. This pretty much by definition requires a large supporting cast of men if you are going to do it properly. This is because "society" is actually quite complicated, and in order to explore it properly you need several well realised characters to speak and act for it.
As I said earlier, I cannot thing of a single member of the supporting cast who would have been better off as a woman. Worse, I cannot think of a single member of the character who, had they been a woman, would not have utterly undermined the point of the book or - worse - just been flat out sexist.
Raffin: Heir to the throne. Again, patriarchal society, you can't have the heir to the throne be a woman.
Bann: Exists purely as Raffin's lover. Making him female would have been actively sexist.
Giddon: Very specifically represents the element of patriarchy that will attempt to control women by trying to protect them. Your classic "Nice Guy" if you wish.
Po: Contrary to what Joss Whedon may think, lesbianism is not inherently better than heterosexuality. Either way coming to terms with your sexuality is an important part of growing up whatever your sex.
Grandfather Tealiff: Spends the entire book being rescued or passing out. This is another character it would be *actively sexist* to recast as female.
Spymaster Dude: So unimportant I can't even remember his name, and see Raffin re: patriarchy.
Leck: Utterly corrupt, the living embodiment of the dangers of power and privilege. Make him female and you're saying "women can't be trusted with power".
Randa: Like leck, but smaller and meaner. Again the fact that he's a man is sort of integral to the book.
Basically Cashore's books contain a lot of men because she is writing specifically about being a woman in a patriarchal society. If you would be "disappointed" to find a similar setup in Fire this implies one of three things:
1) You believe that "being a woman in a patriarchal society" isn't worth writing about.
2) You believe that "being a woman in a patriarchal society" is worth writing about, but it is not something you, personally, are interested in reading about.
3) You believe that "being a woman in a patriarchal society" is worth writing about, and it is something that you are interested in reading about, but you believe that Cashore should write about it in a different way.
(1) and (2) are basically the same thing, and if you genuinely feel that way it's fine. You and I are not the target audience for this book. It is a book by a woman, about a woman, for women, it's totally okay to decide that a book like that hasn't got much to offer you. If it's (3) then ... well as a man, I'm not sure I would be comfortable passing judgment on the way a woman chooses to write about the experience of being a woman.
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Melissa G.
at 23:59 on 2009-11-19I think part of the problem, and I've experienced this too (most of my characters end up male and I've always kind of wondered why), is that often a reader judges a female character more harshly than a male character. It might be because we assume they represent all women, and thus we have to ask ourselves, "What is the author saying about women by having this character?" even if there are other females in the book. There are also far more stigmas attached to woman, I think. For example, if you had a character who was sharp-tongued and didn't take sh*t from anyone, as a man, he comes off kick-ass, as a woman, you run the risk of her coming off as a bitch. It's not fair, but it can happen. Even just as a character, women tend to get pigeonholed a bit. I'm not saying its right, or an excuse for lacking in female characters; I'm just saying that the problem exists.
I hope that made some sort of sense. I feel I'm rambling.
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Robinson L
at 00:02 on 2009-11-20Sorry, Arthur, I must not have made myself clear. I didn't mean to suggest that
because
Bitterblue is smart, empathetic, and stoic, she's a Mary-Sue. I meant that the
amount of intelligence (wisdom even), empathy, and stoicism
she displays in the book (which is a
lot
) make her a Mary-Sue. I might not have been so quick to label her a Mary-Sue were she an adult (as you say, such people do exist in the real world) but a twelve-year-old girl displaying that kind of selflessness and maturity strains my willing suspension of disbelief.
Possibly she's supposed to have matured quickly due to Leck's (attempted) abuse, but even if I were prepared to accept such a scenario, I never got the sense that his mistreatment of Bitterblue or her mother was anywhere near that traumatic for her.
Dan, thank you for the explanation, that clears I few things up.
I won't question your analysis of the characters, Dan (although I'm enough of a pedant to point out that your argument for Raffin is complete nonsense, as European history demonstrates quite clearly. Are you suggesting that Moncey with its Queen Bitterblue isn't patriarchal?). However, I think we're looking at the book from opposite directions. You're looking at the characters who're already there and how they work. I'm looking at the characters who
aren't
there but
could have
been. What about the characters who would have worked better just as well or better as women? Why weren't they included?
I can think of two possible reasons:
1) The specific discourse of "being a woman in a patriarchal society" Kristin Cashore was writing in required that most, if not all, of the major supporting characters be male.
2) Writing about "being a woman in a patriarchal society"
by its very nature
requires that most, if not all, of the major supporting characters be male.
If (2) is the case, then I'm going to need to see a really good argument for why it should be so. If (1) is the case, though, then it suggests to me that there are other ways of writing about "being a woman in a patriarchal society" where having a more equal gender balance of well-realized major supporting characters would be nondetrimental to and maybe even enhance the discourse.
Further, if (1) is correct, that would suggest to me that another book with a similarly male-dominant supporting cast would fall into the same narrow range of subdiscourse of "being a woman in a patriarchal society" in which
Graceling
resides. (I realize this doesn't necessarily follow, but it seems likely.) That's where my line about "rehashing old territory" is coming from.
Of course, must disappointment in that case is not Cashore's problem, nor does it mean that I would dislike the book, probably. Nor am I trying to say what Cashore
should
do, just what I think she could do and what I would
like
her to do. As you point out, it's not my business to tell her what to do; but neither is it my business specifically to refrain from asking if she couldn't say what she needs to say with a larger female supporting cast, and whether that might not be even better.
(I guess partially, I'm hypersensitive due to a regular bombardment of stories - even really good stories - with tokenized and/or marginalized female casts because male characters are just the default. I'm pretty thoroughly convinced that Cashore's smarter than that, but that still doesn't tell me why she also considers majority-male casts a necessity.)
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Niall
at 00:05 on 2009-11-20
Make him female and you're saying "women can't be trusted with power".
I don't agree with this logic; if you have a large cast with diverse roles for women in it, you're not saying anything about women in general by having character x be a woman.
I do agree with the general point that the balance of the cast in Graceling supports the argument being made; I would disagree with your implicit point that it's the only way, or even necessarily the most effective way, to make that argument.
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Sonia Mitchell
at 00:07 on 2009-11-20Haven't read the book, but I do think arguments like
Leck: Utterly corrupt, the living embodiment of the dangers of power and privilege. Make him female and you're saying "women can't be trusted with power".
are pretty dangerous. The whole "when you're wearing school uniform you represent the entire school" mode of thought is very prickly after all. To go back to xkcd, see
How It Works
. The problem isn't with the girl who can't do maths, it's with the guy who sees that she can't do something and applies it to all girls.
Saying that one shouldn't cast a woman in a role which reinforces a sexist stereotype because there are readers who will apply this to all women just seems to be catering to that type of person. If I want to write a novel about a woman who can't do maths then that should be fine - I shouldn't have to second-guess the reader and decide I'll write it about a girl who can't arrange flowers nicely enough.
Which is to say, I don't think casting a woman in the position of a powerful corrupt spymaster would be sexist unless one reads it expecting women to represent their sex (Or, indeed, unless the writer genuinely believes women can't be trusted with power, in which case we'd have bigger problems).
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Sonia Mitchell
at 00:09 on 2009-11-20Cross-posted with Niall there. Jinx, as the pre-teens were saying back when I was one.
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Arthur B
at 00:12 on 2009-11-20
I won't question your analysis of the characters, Dan (although I'm enough of a pedant to point out that your argument for Raffin is complete nonsense, as European history demonstrates quite clearly.
Would that be the European history during which the nobility have practised male-preference primogeniture pretty much exclusively up to the present day?
2) Writing about "being a woman in a patriarchal society" by its very nature requires that most, if not all, of the major supporting characters be male. If (2) is the case, then I'm going to need to see a really good argument for why it should be so.
How about "male dominated societies make it inherently difficult, if not impossible, for women to attain any degree of power and agency, and there's only so many powerless, agencyless characters you can fit into a fantasy adventure story?"
Or perhaps "by having most noteworthy individuals that Katsa meets be male, Cashore underlines the point that wherever you turn in Katsa's world most of the folks calling the shots are dudes?"
Either seems applicable in this case. I am sure there are more.
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Melissa G.
at 00:32 on 2009-11-20
Saying that one shouldn't cast a woman in a role which reinforces a sexist stereotype because there are readers who will apply this to all women just seems to be catering to that type of person. If I want to write a novel about a woman who can't do maths then that should be fine - I shouldn't have to second-guess the reader and decide I'll write it about a girl who can't arrange flowers nicely enough.
I agree. I do feel that it's unfair that writers feel they can't write a female character who is, say, demure and emotional and can't fight just because people will get all upset and start accusing them of being sexist. Girls like that exist. Girls of all kinds exist! I think what's important is representing a variety of female characters - weak, strong, whatever. My friend and I always complain how just because a girl likes shopping or dressing up and doing her make-up doesn't make her a moron. If a female character is well-rounded and multi-faceted, I usually jump up and do a dance because it doesn't happen as often as it should.
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Sonia Mitchell
at 00:52 on 2009-11-20I didn't mean to rehash your point - I think quite a few of us were posting at the same time :-)
My friend and I always complain how just because a girl likes shopping or dressing up and doing her make-up doesn't make her a moron. If a female character is well-rounded and multi-faceted, I usually jump up and do a dance because it doesn't happen as often as it should.
Yes, this exactly. I agree that it's a problem if people only write about women behaving in a certain way (ie. shopping) because that's all they think women can do. However it's equally a problem if critics say that you should *never* write about a woman who shops because of sexism.
It's still holding women to a different standard, because male characters are seen as individuals while female ones have the weight of representing the sisterhood. It's just this time it's done under the banner of being progressive.
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Melissa G.
at 00:54 on 2009-11-20
I didn't mean to rehash your point - I think quite a few of us were posting at the same time :-)
No worries. :-) Yeah, I think we all just jumped there all at once.
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Sonia Mitchell
at 00:57 on 2009-11-20It's like the Okavango here. Once one brave wildebeest decides to cross the river, the rest all follow together.
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Rami
at 03:04 on 2009-11-20
It's like the Okavango here.
I love that simile.
My friend and I always complain how just because a girl likes shopping or dressing up and doing her make-up doesn't make her a moron.
I have to admit that I have frequently been guilty of looking down on women who like those kinds of things ☹ I think a problem is that our brains
may not be able to deal with lots of different people
, and so unless you know someone who really challenges the norms it's far too easy to just use stereotypes as handy guidelines. I know I found it much harder to stereotype women who like to shop after I met someone who loves malls and dressing up and doing her nails... and happens to be a quantum physicist whose day job is miles outside my comprehension.
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Leia
at 03:43 on 2009-11-20
Would that be the European history during which the nobility have practised male-preference primogeniture pretty much exclusively up to the present day?
What about the Marys, the Elizabeths and the eternal Victoria? I'm always very wary of people using historical context to explain why there were no women in power in the "old days" or no Blacks outside Africa. Most of the time, it's not even historical accurate. Then it's conveniently hand-waved in the same story when it fits the plot: Queen Bitterblue.
How about "male dominated societies make it inherently difficult, if not impossible, for women to attain any degree of power and agency, and there's only so many powerless, agencyless characters you can fit into a fantasy adventure story?"
Well, as part of Cashore's intended audience - i.e. female - I think I would prefer more stories where the Heroine is not also the
only
female character who tries to challenge the status quo. The ship captain already comes from a culture where the status quo allows her to be empowered - so she's not challenging it. It would have been nice to have some innkeeper's wife who baked bread for Kasha's rebellion/spy-ring and kept the King's soldiers busy with free beer while the rebellion held their secret meetings. Or if one of the girls who ran Kasha's bath murmured something about how it was cool that the Lady could defend herself when she needed to. I mean, I can buy that it takes one woman to speak up against the system but the way rebellions and revolutions work is that that one person is usually voicing the present but silent disgruntlement of a greater number.
As it stands, Kasha ends the story thinking about setting up a training school for girls and one is left wondering where she'll find her students.
The problem isn't with the girl who can't do maths, it's with the guy who sees that she can't do something and applies it to all girls.
Well said. And, knowing full well that I'm in the danger of commiting that same crime with this statement, I actually have a big problem with Bann existing purely as the Token Gay Lover. It bugs me to admit this, but at least Alec and Magnus from the Clare books added more to the story than just the confirmation that the author was being "diverse".
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Melissa G.
at 04:12 on 2009-11-20
I actually have a big problem with Bann existing purely as the Token Gay Lover. It bugs me to admit this, but at least Alec and Magnus from the Clare books added more to the story than just the confirmation that the author was being "diverse".
Yeah, there seems to be a trend going around of including gay characters...for the sake of including them? I haven't read the book so I'm not saying Cashore did this. I just wanted to point out something I've said before but not here. There's a difference between making a gay character and making a character who just happens to be gay. I'm all for the inclusion of gay characters in literature (yes, please!); it's when "gay" becomes their whole character that I find a problem with it.
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Arthur B
at 09:04 on 2009-11-20
What about the Marys, the Elizabeths and the eternal Victoria?
None of them would have ever been in power if there were a male heir to hand.
Actually, in the case of Mary I and Elizabeth I, neither of them came to power until the death of Edward, their younger, sicklier, and generally vastly less suited to actually being monarch brother. And Elizabeth basically had to forego marriage for her entire life in order to retain her power (whereas Mary's marriage to Philip of Spain caused the nation to collectively shit bricks in fear of being annexed by Spain). So those are pretty much the worst two counterexamples you could come up with - yes, they were both powerful, but in order to get a sniff of power in the first place they had to a) patiently wait until their brother died, hoping that he didn't have any kids in the meantime, and b) make sacrifices which a man in their position would never have been asked to make. (As for Victoria, by the time she came to power the monarchy was basically there to provide a nice figurehead, and genuine political power lay exclusively in the hands of Parliament. A bunch of men elected by men.)
Just because England occasionally had female monarchs doesn't mean it wasn't a male-dominated society in general. If anything, the fact that most people can only name 3 pre-20th Century female English monarchs is evidence of exactly how rare it was for people to buck the trend.
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Shim
at 09:08 on 2009-11-20
Make him female and you're saying "women can't be trusted with power". I don't agree with this logic; if you have a large cast with diverse roles for women in it, you're not saying anything about women in general by having character x be a woman. I do think arguments like Leck: Utterly corrupt, the living embodiment of the dangers of power and privilege. Make him female and you're saying "women can't be trusted with power". are pretty dangerous...Which is to say, I don't think casting a woman in the position of a powerful corrupt spymaster would be sexist unless one reads it expecting women to represent their sex
I haven't read the book, and I'm not sure if this is exactly what Dan was getting at, but anyway... it seems to me that the smaller one subset of a cast gets (e.g. "women"), the more they're likely to seem like representatives. If this book is also using gender in a very careful way, to explore
the experience of growing up as a woman in a male-dominated society
(Dan)
then it seems likely to me that characters are also a bit symbolic/representative of influences. Or something like that...
In a context like that, with very few female characters, it seems to me that making just one or two of those mentioned female might end up seeming sexist because of implications like those Dan suggested. As Niall said, a large diverse cast can overcome this; but Graceling doesn't have one, and making
several
of the characters female would presumably wreck the "patriarchy exploration" part in the process.
Also Niall, I'm not quite sure what argument you mean in your 00:05 comment. Could you clarify that?
But yes, I agree that the "everything is representative of its 'kind'" argument brings up all kinds of problems.
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Wardog
at 09:28 on 2009-11-20Not to put words in Dan's mouth here but I think he over-rhetoricised his point in order to respond to Robinson's Just Plain Stupid notion that because the book has a largely male supporting cast, it didn't score enough feminism points.
I genuinely think it's got to the stage of being picky for the sake of it. Ultimately I'd say Graceling is feminist-friendly fantasy - criticising it because it doesn't have enough homosexuals in it, or because it isn't a sufficiently correct portrayal of the socio-cultural political of Medieval Europe, or because it does attempt to address every aspect of gender-inequality in life, in art and in fantasy strikes me as just plain churlish.
There are plenty of women doing admirable things in Graceling, it's just Cashore doesn't stand up, yelling "LOOK HERE IS A WOMAN DOING AN ADMIRABLE THING BECAUSE I AM A FEMINIST" every time it happens. I mean, there's Po's Mother, there's Bitterblue, there's Bitterblue's mother, there's Helda, there's the sea Captain all of whom have an immense impact on the events in the text. Without Helda, Katsa would likely never have had the strength to form the Shadow Council, without his mother Po would be a political puppet, without her mother Bitterblue would be dead... and before anyone says something, I think it's *important* and *deliberate* that these women acheive what they achieve from within the system as it were.
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http://katsullivan.insanejournal.com/
at 09:30 on 2009-11-20
Arthur B
, I think the point that
Leia
and
Robinson
are making about female monarchs is that ...
they existed
. Sure, they existed under shitty circumstances but they are not anomalies. If Kristin Cashore chose not to make Raffin - the King's gay only son - the female heir to the throne and facing pretty much the same challenges that her male counterpart already does (he is a "weakling" of an heir in his father's eyes), it's not because a female!Raffin is something that is unheard of in the annals of history.
Like Robinson L, "looking at the characters who aren't there but could have been", a female!Raffin, an "Acting" Crown Princess living under the shadow that her crown may be taken by a baby half-brother, would
fit
a story about women struggling for power in male patriachal societies. As Leia said, it would have been nice if Kasha wasn't the only woman who was unhappy with the status quo. That would make one more awesome lady in the story. That can't be a bad thing!
I haven't read the book so I'm not saying Cashore did this. I just wanted to point out something I've said before but not here. There's a difference between making a gay character and making a character who just happens to be gay.
I have read the book and this might have been the only other thing I didn't like about it. The other thing was Leck being cartoon!evil. But Bann is such a shadowy character that until now, I had completely forgotten about him.
I didn't mean to suggest that because Bitterblue is smart, empathetic, and stoic, she's a Mary-Sue. I meant that the amount of intelligence (wisdom even), empathy, and stoicism she displays in the book (which is a lot) make her a Mary-Sue.
I noticed that as well. I didn't mind it as much as I minded her ability to block Leck's powers which falls too neatly into the box of "Super-speshul, unexplained powers". But, like I said, Bitterblue is such a delightful character that I am more than willing to over-look this.
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Wardog
at 09:35 on 2009-11-20Just to keep going on about it, this time in response to Kat, one the things I really like about Graceling and the way Cashore writes, is that she kept her focus squarely on her main character and somehow managed to write reasonably well-paced fantasy novel that wasn't 800 pages long. I think we have to remember that Katsa, as a heroine, is young, and a little bit too caught up with her own struggles, and her own injustices, to really look around her and *see* what's truly going on. This is partly, I think, one of the many things she learns over the course of the book, and something that both Po and Bitterblue help her learn. Although I *loved* Cashore's characters and would gladly have taken more Raffin, more Bann and more anybody else she wanted, I think they served to provide a nuanced background for Katsa's personal story without detracting or interfering from it. And let's remember Graceling is the first book of a series - I imagine we'll see much more Raffin in later books, and of course, Bitterblue... *excitement*
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Niall
at 10:22 on 2009-11-20
In a context like that, with very few female characters, it seems to me that making just one or two of those mentioned female might end up seeming sexist because of implications like those Dan suggested.
As Kyra says, actually there are plenty of female characters. And to continue with the case of Leck specifically, given that he ends up being replaced by Bitterblue, I cannot see how making him a woman would carry the implications Dan suggests it would.
But that doesn't mean I think it should have been done. When I talk about a book's "argument" I'm referencing the description of sf and fantasy works that says they are "arguments with the world"; that everything in them necessarily engages in dialogue with the world as it is, and makes a statement about the relationship between the textual and real worlds. In the case of Graceling, that argument is, as Dan says, about growing up as a woman in a male-dominated society, like our society; so it matters that the figures with the most power are men, because they tend to be in our world.
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Dan H
at 11:02 on 2009-11-20Wow, a lot of responses:
Sonia:
Saying that one shouldn't cast a woman in a role which reinforces a sexist stereotype because there are readers who will apply this to all women just seems to be catering to that type of person.
This, unfortunately, is the same logic that leads to things like the "colour blindness" defense of Earthsea and Avatar. If you have the choice to perpetuate a stereotype or not to perpetuate a stereotype you should choose *not* to because perpetuating stereotypes *actively harms people*.
The notion that women cannot be trusted with power is actually something Graceling specifically addresses - the whole "her grace is killing/her grace is survival" thing is *specifically* about the tendency of society to demonize powerful women. If the main villain of the book had been a woman whose power had turned dangerous it would have reinforced *the very ideas it was critiquing*.
It's perfectly okay to write books where the villains are women. It's perfectly okay to write books where women do horrible things to people. It's not sensible to suggest that a book which is specifically about the power dynamics of relationships between men and women in a patriarchal society would be improved by making its villain female.
Kat:
Like Robinson L, "looking at the characters who aren't there but could have been", a female!Raffin, an "Acting" Crown Princess living under the shadow that her crown may be taken by a baby half-brother, would fit a story about women struggling for power in male patriachal societies.
Again, I think this misses the point.
Graceling is not about women struggling for power in male dominated societies, it's about one, particular woman struggling for - not even power particularly, but freedom, identity and a sense of self - in a male dominated society.
Making Raffin female would have *profoundly lessened* the book for precisely that reason. Part of what Cashore was trying to capture with Graceling (as far as I can tell) was a sense of isolation. You can't have that if you've got another character who's in exactly the same predicament as her. Suddently Katsa would either have to change her behaviour entirely (staying in the Middluns to support Raffin) or else wind up looking utterly selfish and hypocritical. And either way it would have reduced a quite subtle, quite complex analysis of power dynamics to a rather simplistic "women good, men bad" axis, which would have done nobody any favours.
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at 11:18 on 2009-11-20
Although I *loved* Cashore's characters and would gladly have taken more Raffin, more Bann and more anybody else she wanted, I think they served to provide a nuanced background for Katsa's personal story without detracting or interfering from it.
Do you think that Raffin being female and essentially playing the same role in the text would have made him less a background character? Make him take the spotlight from Kasha? Because there's a part of me that thinks that and it's making me wonder about that theory that says that many people (men and women) will regard a room half-full with women as
too many
women.
In the case of Graceling, that argument is, as Dan says, about growing up as a woman in a male-dominated society, like our society; so it matters that the figures with the most power are men, because they tend to be in our world.
I don't think the argument is about Graceling having more women in power or even more women doing admirable things. I think it's about it having more women who are discontent with the male-dominated society (i.e. outside of Po's island which appears to be progressive in terms of gender equality. So the ship captain and Po's mother and even Bitterblue, his niece, don't actually count). They aren't doing anything about the male-dominated society in the scale Kasha is but they aren't resigned to it either. I get the point that was made that at the end of the book, you have to wonder where the girls that go to Kasha's school will come from.
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Sonia Mitchell
at 11:33 on 2009-11-20This, unfortunately, is the same logic that leads to things like the "colour blindness" defense of Earthsea and Avatar.
I don't think that's a fair point at all.
However I'll have to bow out, because as I said I haven't read the book and was speaking rather generally.
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http://katsullivan.insanejournal.com/
at 11:44 on 2009-11-20Sorry Dan, we must have posted at about the same time.
If the main villain of the book had been a woman whose power had turned dangerous it would have reinforced *the very ideas it was critiquing*.
That's a very good point. I just knew Leck had to be a guy, but I couldn't put my finger on why.
Making Raffin female would have *profoundly lessened* the book for precisely that reason. Part of what Cashore was trying to capture with Graceling (as far as I can tell) was a sense of isolation. You can't have that if you've got another character who's in exactly the same predicament as her.
A female!Raffin won't have been exactly in the same predicament at Kasha, at least, if you assume that Raffin being female would have added another layer to his father's present discontent with him and not changed his personality. Nor should female!Raffin make Kasha's decision to leave any more selfish: Randa was still alive and able to produce a male heir at any time. Unless Kasha was going to remain in the Middluns to take care of any bastard brothers that might threaten Raffin's crown...?
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Shim
at 11:44 on 2009-11-20
...actually there are plenty of female characters.
Given I know almost nothing about this book, I'll give up trying to analyse it now...
Ah, the "argument" bit makes sense now. I read it before as meaning the phrase you quoted from Dan:
Make him female and you're saying "women can't be trusted with power"
. The paragraph didn't really seem to make much sense that way (i.e. why would you, Niall, want to make a case for that anyway?).
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at 11:51 on 2009-11-20
Graceling is not about women struggling for power in male dominated societies, it's about one, particular woman struggling for - not even power particularly, but freedom, identity and a sense of self - in a male dominated society.
Not to be redundant but isn't the reason why it's a male-dominated society in the first place, because
women
don't have power? Sure the book focuses on one woman's struggle and there's nothing wrong with that. But why would this impact or theme be lessened if Kasha's story had been told against the
backdrop
of other women's struggles?
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Wardog
at 12:49 on 2009-11-20
But why would this impact or theme be lessened if Kasha's story had been told against the backdrop of other women's struggles?
I, uh, rather thought it was, to be honest? It's just the way Cashore has chosen to explore it is through the lens of one character. I didn't feel there was a lack of explicit female struggling going on, I just thought it didn't particularly need to be constantly addressed by the text. It's kind of got to the point where we're criticising Cashore for doing something one way, instead of another way.
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Arthur B
at 12:58 on 2009-11-20
Arthur B, I think the point that Leia and Robinson are making about female monarchs is that ... they existed. Sure, they existed under shitty circumstances but they are not anomalies.
If we take the medieval period in England as spanning around 500 years (from the Norman Conquest to the Elizabethan period), then as far as female monarchs of England are concerned you've got Matilda (whose reign was contested throughout by Stephen), Mary, and Elizabeth. Oh, and there was Lady Jane Grey, but she's not often counted because a) she's generally regarded as a puppet candidate propped up by a desperate anyone-but-Mary movement, and b) she was convicted of treason and killed, and was monarch for barely a week.
4 instances. 500 years. Arithmetic mean once every 125 years, and even then 3 of those instances are packed within one generation at the end of the period.
If you've got an event which only happens
once every few lifetimes
, how is that not anomalous?
If Kristin Cashore chose not to make Raffin - the King's gay only son - the female heir to the throne and facing pretty much the same challenges that her male counterpart already does (he is a "weakling" of an heir in his father's eyes), it's not because a female!Raffin is something that is unheard of in the annals of history.
But in the annals of history the solution to the King's "problem" of having an heir he considers unsuitable would be very different.
If you are not happy with a female heir, you could just
keep shagging
until you spawned a male one. It worked fine for Henry VIII.
If you have a male heir you're not keen on, though, it's a very different matter. In theory you could disinherit him. In practice, even a disinherited male heir hanging around would pose a problem for any preferred heir, because there'd always be the threat of opponents of your preferred successor using your disinherited son as a figurehead to spark off a dispute over succession. In medieval Europe such disputes tended to play out in battlefields, not courtrooms, so any monarch who cared even slightly about the fate of their country after their death would be loathe to just disinherit a kid. Murder is of course an option, if you don't mind being compared to King Herod for the rest of history, and even in medieval times you had to be especially psychotic to kill your own kids.
At least in England, the monarchs seem to have been satisfied to just let their sons inherit the crown, and hope that they will rise to the occasion when the time comes, whereas female heirs - regardless of their qualities - were regarded as generally a really big problem.
Not to be redundant but isn't the reason why it's a male-dominated society in the first place, because women don't have power? Sure the book focuses on one woman's struggle and there's nothing wrong with that. But why would this impact or theme be lessened if Kasha's story had been told against the backdrop of other women's struggles?
Dan points out the isolation angle earlier, which I think is key. If Katsa isn't isolated, if there are women out there openly struggling for the same things Katsa is looking for, then a) it's just plain less exciting than Katsa trying to sort these things out without help, and b) suddenly it's no longer just about Katsa the character, but women in general, because by providing the other struggles as a backdrop you're inevitably inviting the reader to draw the comparison and make a link.
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at 13:15 on 2009-11-20
If you've got an event which only happens once every few lifetimes, how is that not anomalous?
Er... Sorry about the word choice then. I was just trying to say that it wasn't "Impossible" that Raffin could be a girl. What Dan said was:
Raffin: Heir to the throne. Again, patriarchal society, you can't have the heir to the throne be a woman.
But history shows that there have been female monarch ins patriarchal societies so that statement isn't accurate. If Cashore had made Raffin female, it would have still worked. That's all.
If you are not happy with a female heir, you could just keep shagging until you spawned a male one.
I had this private theory that Randa couldn't have any more children, or he'd have got a spare to his heir.
I didn't feel there was a lack of explicit female struggling going on, I just thought it didn't particularly need to be constantly addressed by the text. It's kind of got to the point where we're criticising Cashore for doing something one way, instead of another way.
I guess I'm always a fan of "more" awesome female characters, especially from a writer who's clearly good at creating them. That's a compliment to Cashore, isn't it? I think Graceling is awesome. This discussion has made me see ways in which it could have been
more
awesome. Is there anything wrong with that?
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Dan H
at 13:19 on 2009-11-20
I don't think that's a fair point at all.
Actually you're right, it was a cheap shot, sorry.
All I meant was that I think we've got caught up between specifics and generalities. Obviously it would be possible to imagine a book in which there was a powerful, corrupt female antagonist, which was not in any way sexist, but that book would not be Graceling.
The reason I reached for the Avatar/Earthsea analogy was, I admit, partly just reflex defensiveness but partly because I was talking specifically about *changing* the existing text. But yeah, sorry, it was cheap of me.
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Leia
at 13:28 on 2009-11-20Just repeating what Kat said: the point wasn't that female monarchs were a dime a dozen in history. The point is that they were not absent from it. In fact, Medieval Europe is too far away. Too often the historical "accuracy" is used in application to fantasy worlds. Let's stick to the Seven Kingdoms.
Queen Bitterblue exists.
In the same world. In a similar patriachal society as Randa's. (And child to an even more twisted King-father).
A child-woman monarch.
How is Queen-to-be Raffina an impossibility?
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Arthur B
at 13:38 on 2009-11-20
Er... Sorry about the word choice then. I was just trying to say that it wasn't "Impossible" that Raffin could be a girl. What Dan said was: Raffin: Heir to the throne. Again, patriarchal society, you can't have the heir to the throne be a woman. But history shows that there have been female monarch ins patriarchal societies so that statement isn't accurate. If Cashore had made Raffin female, it would have still worked. That's all.
It would have worked in the sense that, legalistically, she'd be the heir, assuming they follow the same general rules as we did in medieval Europe.
It wouldn't have worked in the sense that the more women Cashore put in positions of power and influence, the less male-dominated the society depicted would seem. In fact, I could
guarantee
you that if Raffin had been female, people would be arguing that the society depicted wasn't
really
male-dominated, and point to female-Raffin as proof. They would be
wrong
, but why give them that wiggle room in the first place?
Which comes back to the basic point: yes, more significant characters could have been female. But why should Cashore blunt the "this society is male-dominated" message when she could be driving it home with full force? Why should Cashore lessen the perils and obstacles that face Katsa - and thus lessen her heroism in overcoming them - when she could pile 'em higher instead?
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Melissa G.
at 13:39 on 2009-11-20I also am now bowing out of the debate as I was also speaking generally and cannot address this book particularly. I didn't mean to insult Graceling or Kristin Cashore. ^^
Have fun with the debating!
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Arthur B
at 13:41 on 2009-11-20
Let's stick to the Seven Kingdoms. Queen Bitterblue exists. In the same world. In a similar patriachal society as Randa's. (And child to an even more twisted King-father). A child-woman monarch. How is Queen-to-be Raffina an impossibility?
Queen Bitterblue exists specifically because of Katsa's heroism, though; she's the end result of Katsa's victory over her society. If Raffina were female, and a viable choice to be heir, then what need for Bitterblue?
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Leia
at 14:14 on 2009-11-20Bitterblue owes her life to Kasha not her crown. She's Queen because she's the child of the late King and in Cashore's world, that is claim enough. Kasha doesn't put her on the throne. She just keeps her alive long enough to be able to claim it. But the system that makes it possible for a child queen to be crowned is already part of Cashore's world.
I'm not sure I like the implication that Raffina being a heiress makes Bitterblue redundant. Forget that they play polar opposite roles in the story and have opposite relationships with Kasha - it's too much of the "we can't have two [Insert Characteristic X] *girls* in the story. In fact I'm uncomfortable with the whole argument that a woman's story loses its power when there are more women in it. It's an argument that never comes up when the protagonist is male.
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Wardog
at 14:24 on 2009-11-20Looks like we're all bowing out here. I think the debate is certainly interesting but I hope things didn't get too heated and nobody is hurt/irritated/furstrated with anyone else. If I was overly defensive regarding either Cashore or Graceling, it's just because I think in these sort of discussions it's all too easy to lose track of what the book *did do* in the welter of speculation about what it *doesn't do*. And when you get right down to it, Graceling has been some of the best, feminist-friendly fantasy I've read for a long time.
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http://katsullivan.insanejournal.com/
at 14:26 on 2009-11-20
But the system that makes it possible for a child queen to be crowned is already part of Cashore's world.
Yes, this is what I thought. I think you could even argue that Bitterblue claiming her throne so easily - because Leck as a sick, crazy Dad is the obstacle she overcomes not the rejection of her own people against a child Queen - might even do what Arthur B thinks Raffina would have done and make the world less patriarchal while a Crown Princess Raffina who is shown to be resented/endangered because of society's expectations of their monarch's gender underlines the patriarchal philosophy of the world.
Wow, that was a long run-on sentence.
Yes, I too am uncomfortable with the idea that more women in a story makes it less powerful for the one woman the story is about. For one thing, I don't believe that. But I don't know how to argue that or express or explain that.
Er... so that means I'm also bowing out of the discussion. I think I've pretty much said everything I have to say and the bottom line is that though it's hard not to find room for improvement in anything, I still like Graceling and Cashore's writing a lot. That's all.
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Arthur B
at 14:28 on 2009-11-20
Kasha doesn't put her on the throne. She just keeps her alive long enough to be able to claim it.
You see, I'm enough of a pragmatist that I think the two are the same thing.
In fact I'm uncomfortable with the whole argument that a woman's story loses its power when there are more women in it.
This would obviously be an untrue thing to say of all women in all stories.
That doesn't mean it isn't true for
Katsa
in
Katsa
's story, which is about how
Katsa
found her way in a male-dominated society.
It's an argument that never comes up when the protagonist is male.
Wouldn't that be because there just ain't that many stories about men striving to find their identity in a female-dominated society?
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Leia
at 14:48 on 2009-11-20If Bitterblue had outlived Leck and her people revolted against the idea of a Queen and, let's say, dug up the records of Leck's foster parents to trace the rightful King, no matter how obscure the relationship, the matter would have been out of Kasha or Bitterblue's hands. It's like arguing that it's Harry's ingenuity that saves him in GoF when it's Rowling making his wand match Voldemorte.
Only in Cashore's world, by her rules, it's apparently not a big deal that a woman is crowned. Like Kat said, Raffina struggling to just be Queen-to-be as opposed to Bitterblue waltzing into her throne would be more fitting to the patriachal society the story is supposed to be set in.
No, there aren't that many stories about men like that. But there are far too many stories where the male:female ratio is skewed to the men's side. For A Lot of Very Good Reasons. I guess I'm just skeptical of One More Good Reason why women are in the minority. And I'm saying that as a woman, part of the "target" audience.
This is probably a good time for me to bow out.
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Arthur B
at 15:18 on 2009-11-20It's probably wise for everyone to bow out at this point. There is always, after all, the possibility that Kristin actually knows precisely what she is doing and intends to introduce a greater and greater proportion of female characters over the course of the series to reflect the development of the culture of the Kingdoms, and there's only so far we can take this discussion when we're only seeing a portion of her plans.
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Wardog
at 15:23 on 2009-11-20Okay I meant to bow out and failed.
But there are far too many stories where the male:female ratio is skewed to the men's side. For A Lot of Very Good Reasons. I guess I'm just skeptical of One More Good Reason why women are in the minority.
Again, it's possible my love for Cashore is blinding me to inequalities in the text but I genuinely don't believe this kind of thing can be judged numerically, and I think we might be doing Cashore a grave injustice by looking and her text and counting up the men and counting up the women and trying to work out whether it would be better if x person was a man, or y person was a woman.
I mean if a book has 100 women and 3 men in it, and the women all stand around in the background, or bake cookies for the men, or are constantly raped by passing barbarians, I think we'd all agree that it was a problem. And, let's face it, it's tokenism.
If you have a text with 5 men and 5 woman, and the women are all terrible stereotypes then, again, I think we'd all agree that it was a problem.
And so on.
To be honest - and no offence to Dan - I think the "these characters have to be men for this reason" rhetoric did more harm than good, although I know exactly why you did it. I think we're looking at this completely the wrong way round - the point is not why the men in Graceling are men, but what Cashore is saying, and doing, with her female characters.
The point is, I would argue, is that they're all fantastic characters, with a meaningful place in the text, no matter how brief their appearance. Despite living in a patriarchal world, they have agency, they have strength, they are, individual and wonderful. They have significant interactions with Katsa. They are, most importantly, people, rather than token women stuffed into the text to give a semblance of gender equality. I hope this makes sense.
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Rami
at 18:13 on 2009-11-20Congratulations! This article has leaped into the top five most discussed so far. Perhaps we should let Cashore write another book before we start extrapolating about her plans or worldview, though.
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Dan H
at 18:29 on 2009-11-20If you'll bear with me for a second, I'm going to a do a play-by play of how the discussion has got to this frankly unhelpful stage.
We've got to the point now where people who haven't read the book are arguing that the book should be changed in order to remove features it does not in fact possess. In particular people are arguing that it should contain fewer male supporting characters. It contains five.
Here is how it went down.
Robinson, L posted a comment further up in which he suggested that the book contained too many male characters. Since the book is remarkable for the large number of interesting, well rounded, well developed female characters it contains Kyra and I both thought this was a bit odd, and pointed out that while in some parts of the book, Katsa is indeed surrounded almost entirely by men, that's kind of the point.
Robinson L, whose impressions of the book I should remind you came from an audio dramatization and not from, well, actually reading it, continued to insist that the book contained too many men.
Kyra and I once again tried to explain that the book actually contained an awful lot of women, and that the men it did contain were there to make some very specific points about the relationships one has with men when one grows up as a woman in a male dominated society.
At this point, Robinson L took it upon himself to declare that Kristin Cashore was wrong to write the book the way she chose to write it (he insists he is not saying this, that he is merely saying it would be "better" if she wrote it differently, this is in fact the same thing). He insisted that he would be "very disappointed" if she "went over the same ground" in her next book and declared that he "hoped she didn't pull something like that again."
He then went on to pat himself on the back for how awesomely tolerant and feminist this made him.
This made Kyra so angry, so offended, and so genuinely hurt, that she did not feel herself able to reply in an appropriate or professional manner. Because, and let me be very clear about this, when you are a man, saying you know how a woman could improve the book she wrote about growing up as a woman is fantastically fucking patronising.
I attempted to reply on Kyra's behalf in order to make three points. Firstly that there actually aren't very many men in the book. Secondly that the men that are there are mostly there to make very specific points about what interacting with men is like for women and thirdly that claiming you know how to write about being a woman better than an actual woman is kind of a problem.
Unfortunately I overstated my case, people went off on a variety of tangents, and we're now in the farcical situation where people are strenuously arguing that a book entirely about women has somehow dropped the ball because it contains a few male supporting characters.
Sorry to have such a go at you, Robinson, but Kyra and I are both really quite angry, because you took a powerful, beautiful book which says genuinely important things about growing up as a young woman and got everybody to judge it by a set of standards which you, as a man, took it upon yourself to define. The main character is a woman. The most important supporting characters are women. The book is entirely about women. The entire last third of the book focuses entirely on two women completely alone in the wilderness. Yet you presume to find it lacking because of a "majority-male supporting cast".
As Kyra initially refrained from saying: how fucking dare you.
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Wardog
at 20:22 on 2009-11-20And it's irritating as hell that some really interesting discussion has been dominated and buried by this nonsense as well :(
Although I'm thrilled to have swooped into the top 5 discussed articles I am conscious that things have got more than a little bitter - so I just wanted to thank everyone for their time and their thoughts.
And for the record I still love Kristin Cashore and want to marry her.
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Robinson L
at 21:30 on 2009-11-20Kyra, I am so deeply, incredibly, unbelievably sorry to have offended you. I'm still not sure how on Earth I ended up giving the impression of the extremely judgmental and sanctimonious attitude you and Dan attribute to me. But apparently I have upset you terribly, and for that, I am truly, deeply sorry.
I may not agree with all of you about the gender breakdown of the casting in future books. However, something that obviously did not come through anywhere near clearly enough in my previous comments is that as far as I was concerned, this was a very minor point – in other words,
not a big deal
. I was under the impression (grossly mistaken, I realize now, to my shame) that this was a light philosophical discussion. I hope you will believe me when I say I
never
would have continued shooting off my mouth like that if I'd known that this was not the case.
You've said:
Ultimately I'd say Graceling is feminist-friendly fantasy
. And I agree with that. And further:
And for the record I still love Kristin Cashore and want to marry her.
. Good for you. I did not have that strong a reaction, but she's certainly a good writer and has written a very good book. It seems that my overall feelings about the book got lost in the argument over one detail. Once again, I am so, so sorry. I only wish there was something more I could do to amend the damage I see now that I have done.
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Wardog
at 22:09 on 2009-11-20It's not the fact that you didn't like how many male characters there are in Graceling, it was the more the idea that you thought the themes Cashore explores and the way she explores them - which I would define broadly as 'being a woman' and 'from the perspective of a woman' as evidence that she has failed as a writer. Quite frankly I'm sick to the back teeth of men telling female writers how they should portray women and what they should be writing. If you consider that as light philosophy then fair enough, but I rather imagine that's a prerogative you only get as a man. But you absolutely don't have to apologise to me - you think what you think, and I'll think what I think. I'm kind of hoping we can salvage the discussion actually - I've completely lost several of Kat's very interesting points in the noise.
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Dan H
at 17:46 on 2009-11-21
Yes, I too am uncomfortable with the idea that more women in a story makes it less powerful for the one woman the story is about. For one thing, I don't believe that. But I don't know how to argue that or express or explain that.
Just quickly replying to this post from Kat which got lost in all the fail.
You are of course quite right, I'm afraid I wound up arguing a more extreme position than I intended, apologies.
I don't believe that the fact that the Shadow Council consists entirely of men represents any kind of flaw in the book - not even a minor one. On the other hand I do in fact see that arguing that "these characters have to be male" is a dangerous path to go down - as you observe it leads to some nasty implications because it leads quickly to the point where you're saying "whoops, can't have too many women in this." Obviously that wasn't my intention but that doesn't change the fact that it wound up being the implication of my argument.
So, yeah, you're dead right on that, sorry.
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Melissa G.
at 21:19 on 2009-11-21It brings up an interesting question to me. Where does the author's freedom to create characters as he/she sees them (as man, woman, white, black, straight, gay, etc) end, and the burden of social responsibility come in where an author feels compelled by social issues and things to not only include diversity but to make sure he/she doesn't overshadow the diversity? (Wow, long, sorry.) In my opinion, it's just as detrimental or offensive to include a character just to have a woman, gay person, or minority.
Any thoughts on this?
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Jamie Johnston
at 19:19 on 2009-11-22I haven't got anything I'd call a thought, Melissa, but here's a sketch of the beginnings of a thought:
It's perhaps useful to separate in one's mind the design of the story-world (i.e. the society in which the story takes place, or more specifically the parts of the society that we see, including the sorts of people we encounter) and the presentation of it (specifically what effects any given aspect of the society is shown to have, and whether that aspect is presented as good or bad).
Having made that mental distinction, one could say, "I shall design whatever social setting feels right, and choose my cast of principal, supporting, and background characters accordingly. Then, once I've done that, I'll step back and look at it. Very carefully. I'll turn over every aspect of it and ask myself what I think about it, whether it's positive or negative, whether I approve or disapprove. And then I'll write my story (or, if I've already written it, I'll revise it) to make sure that I reveal the positives and the negatives appropriately, that I don't seem to approve or reinforce the negatives, that I give due weight and approval to the positives."
I don't know whether that's the best approach, or a good one, or even a practicable one. I haven't written any fiction except short comedy sketches for many years, so I certainly haven't consciously tried that approach. But it strikes me as one possible way to be free and creative without feeling overburdened by worry, and also to be suitably burdened by worry without letting it stifle the creativity.
On the other hand, perhaps that wouldn't work. Perhaps, as both Robinson and Dan have both at times seemed to suggest earlier in this discussion, it isn't enough to make sure that the presentation expresses the right approvals and disapprovals: perhaps the very design of the society and the composition of the cast of characters can perpetuate unhelpful stereotypes and reinforce bad habits of thought.
In that case, maybe the writer can take the mental separation I've suggested and use it the other way: start by thinking of the messages she wants to send or the stereotypes she wants to undermine or avoid, and build these consciously into the design of the world and, in broad terms, the cast. And then, once satisfied, she can say, "Whose story shall I tell? What should happen? What, within the confines of what I've designed, could happen, and to whom, and with what effect?"
Perhaps that wouldn't work either; it might need to be a sort of Hegelian zig-zagging between periods of untrammelled creativity and responsible self-correction. But my instinct is that it's probably helpful to keep in mind that there are those two separate things: the way you design it, and the attitude you ask the reader to take towards it. Or, to look at it from the critic's point of view rather than the writer's, it's probably important to avoid examining and criticising the composition of the cast, for example, or the design of the social institutions, without also looking at the attitude of the text toward those facts, and vice versa.
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Melissa G.
at 19:51 on 2009-11-22I think I came up with similar thoughts too. I mean, it's impossible to do everything right so I guess the author has to decide what's most important to him/her as far as what they want to say with their book. If the book is about tolerance, it's important to show diversity because if the author doesn't, the theme is undermined.
I suppose this interests me because I tend to be a character writer. I come up with characters before theme. So, in cases like mine, I guess what's important is to go back afterward and look over what you've done and if you're presenting any possible stereotypes and how to maybe turn the reader's mind away from that idea, either by tweaking a character or introducing another. And I think there are times when you ask, "Does this character need to be white/man/straight/etc?" and the answer is no, but I think there are times when the answer is yes too. So, maybe the most important thing is to ask that question whenever you make a character.
Now I might just be rambling though.
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Robinson L
at 03:02 on 2009-12-02
Kyra: you absolutely don't have to apologise to me
On the contrary, if Dan's account is anything to go by, my words in the conversation above were hurtful, which was far removed from my intentions, I assure you. I do apologize for having given offense.
If you consider that as light philosophy then fair enough, but I rather imagine that's a prerogative you only get as a man.
An excellent point, one I will endeavor to keep more firmly in mind.
I do not at all, however, propose to tell Cashore what she should do, in matters of writing or any other.
It's not the fact that you didn't like how many male characters there are in Graceling, it was the more the idea that you thought the themes Cashore explores and the way she explores them - which I would define broadly as 'being a woman' and 'from the perspective of a woman' as evidence that she has failed as a writer.
A position which I in no way propound.
It seems clear to me now that we have been speaking at cross-purposes for some time.
The composition of a book's main cast is absolutely a feminist issue, and a somewhat separate issue from that of discourse. However, you and Dan and others have quite satisfied me that
Graceling
's discourse addresses feminist issues very well indeed, and for myself I will not argue the matter of casting from a feminist perspective. In light of what has been said already, I do not consider myself qualified to assess
Graveling
's handling of feminist issues one way or another.
Something I should perhaps have tried to explain earlier is that casting for me is also a matter of personal taste. All else being equal, I prefer large female casts (“all else” including such matters as the female characters being well-written and not exploitively written, yes). Aside from a feminist angle (which, as I say, has now been more than aptly addressed), I can not come up with any particular reason why this should be so, other than to restate that it is what I prefer, and so I left that part unsaid—unwisely, I now realize.
It was in this light that I made my comments. I liked
Graceling
. I was slightly disappointed by the casting, but having seen the arguments in favor of Cashore's decisions in that regard, I accept the casting as is. I hope that in at least some of her future books, Cashore will be able to convey her feminist discourse in a way which will be congenial to—or even enhanced by—a larger female supporting cast. I think Cashore could do some great things with a large female cast, and I think I would like such a story even better.
None of which says anything at all about what Cashore
should
do, as it is certainly not my place to make any such statement. I merely offer my opinion on what I would like her to do, which places absolutely no obligations on her whatsoever.
As Dan points out, Kristin Cashore is not primarily writing for me or even for people like me, so my opinion counts for even less, which is fair enough. For what very little it's worth, then, I offered it. Had I known how it would be taken though, and what that would lead to, I would a) have picked my words with a
lot
more care or, more likely, b) not bothered entirely.
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Sister Magpie
at 15:57 on 2010-05-07Hey, remember this thread? I do! I've remembered it all this time while reminding myself to pick up this book and I finally have. Just wanted to thank you for the rec and also, months after the fact, to put in my 2 cents about some issues brought up here.
I didn't find Bitterblue to be a Mary Sue. I think in my head I was expecting it, having remembered the discussion, but she really didn't come across that way to me. I guess her personality seemed to just make sense given who she was. She was a princess and was taught to be self-possessed. She had already broken through Leck's power by the time we meet her--it wasn't about seeing her mother killed, it was that she had already seen her mother hurt. Essentially, she was the child of an abusive marriage and seeing her mother hurt at the hands of her father repeatedly had opened her eyes. This was not a special power of Bitterblue's, they were careful to say. Everyone, when hurt enough by Leck, gained that power.
I do agree with the few flaws pointed out here, particularly Leck's downfall. I could think of many ways that Leck could have become the way he did given his power so I didn't think he was just evil for the sake of being evil, but we never know him and his death is almost intentionally anti-climactic.
TBH, the thing I thought was a bit weak actually was Po. I loved the guy, but that was the thing. He was just too much a fantasy for me. He made Ginny Weasley look like a character not created to be the perfect mate for the protagonist! He was still an interesting guy, but if there was a Sue in the story I'd be looking at Po far more than Bitterblue. I can't really think of a single flaw the guy had.
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Dan H
at 11:47 on 2010-05-10I'm actually okay with Leck's downfall, I thought it was actually quite well thought through. Leck's power very specifically *isn't* a D&D charm spell, it's that you believe whatever he says. Which means that if he threatens you, you do actually get a narrow window of believing he's dangerous before he backtracks and says "but we're friends really".
The end of the Leck arc actually highlights some rather chilling things about Katsa - it's quite clear in the text that she "beat" Leck because she really was willing to kill a man who she believed otherwise innocent, purely to protect Po.
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Wardog
at 10:23 on 2010-05-11I didn't really find Po too Mary-Sue-ish, I think because he was someone for me to want to have, rather than someone I'd necessarily want to be, if that makes sense? Mary Sue heroines are annoying because they are (meant to be) more awesome than me, but idealised lovers I enjoy very much :)
And actually I thought Po behaved like a bit of a twat when he went blind - at least, he doesn't respond to a position of new found vulnerability particularly well.
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Sister Magpie
at 17:20 on 2010-05-11
I'm actually okay with Leck's downfall, I thought it was actually quite well thought through. Leck's power very specifically *isn't* a D&D charm spell, it's that you believe whatever he says. Which means that if he threatens you, you do actually get a narrow window of believing he's dangerous before he backtracks and says "but we're friends really".
Oh, I bought how it happened. I was just left wishing we could have gotten to know him a bit more. We only see him for a few moments before he dies, and that's after a really chilling build up.
I didn't think he was much a twat after going blind given the circumstances. I mean, it's a huge thing to go blind, and he was a bit mopey about it but that's probably nothing compared to what a regular person losing their sight would be. Especially since he had the added factor of not being able to tell anyone for fear of revealing his Grace.
I didn't really find Po too Mary-Sue-ish, I think because he was someone for me to want to have, rather than someone I'd necessarily want to be, if that makes sense? Mary Sue heroines are annoying because they are (meant to be) more awesome than me, but idealised lovers I enjoy very much :)
Yes, I shouldn't have used that term. He's definitely not a Mary Sue but an idealized love interest, which is a different thing. But I did find it a little distracting that he was so perfect that way.
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Jamie Johnston
at 15:23 on 2010-12-16'Late to the party' doesn't even begin to describe it, but hey! I have read this book now! Yay!
I really liked it. And it was interesting, having read it, to re-read this article and
Dan's
about it, and skimming the discussions on each. Interestingly partly because one of the things that struck me as very striking and appealing about
Graceling
, especially from a 'gender studies' type perspective, is something that hasn't come up much in the commentary so far.
[Slight
spoilers
hereafter. Not that there haven't been any already, but.]
Kat and Kyra mentioned that they particularly liked the sequence in the mountains, and I feel the same. And I think one of the reasons I found it so striking is linked to the broader question of the qualities that the book treats as heroic. I loved the way it valorizes care and survival and practicality. I think that comes through very clearly in the way the most climactic and memorable sequence — the one in the mountains — is not a massive battle but is actually an escape.
What they're doing is running away, which is something that the conventions of not only fantasy (of which I have no very deep knowledge) but genre fiction generally tend to portray as massively un-heroic. Even when an escape is heroic in fiction, the heroism is usually found in the one who self-sacrificingly stays behind to hold back the pursuers. We even had all the ingredients for that trope in
Graceling
, and I really thought (and feared, because I liked Po a lot) that it was going to happen. But no, the focus was on the actual escape itself, and Herclé! it was just the most heroic and awe-inspiring thing.
People have already remarked that Cashore has a women doing cool things without being all 'Look, Awesome Women' about it, and it's a similar thing with qualities and activities. Practicality and survival are interesting in terms of gender because they feature as strands in both traditional masculinity and traditional femininity, while being heavily gendered in both. Men put up shelves, women mend clothes. Men hunt animals, women seek help and shelter. The obvious 'feminist' things to do in a book would be either (1) to have a female character who is Awesome because she does the traditionally masculine things or (2) to deprecate the traditionally masculine things and have the traditionally feminine things turn out to save the day. What
Graceling
does is more progressive than that, it seems to me: Katsa mends clothes and makes fire and weapons, hunts animals and and makes them into meals. The fact that she does all these things makes her super-cool, and also makes the point that there's nothing inherently masculine or feminine about any of them and there's no reason why a woman can't do all of them. She fights and she escapes, and she's a hero both ways.
And the other interesting one is care. Care, of course, is a very gendered thing: so much so that it's the basis of the main strand of feminist ethics. But traditional gender-stereotyping tends to depict care-giving as something that women just spontaneously do because they want to, because women are naturally loving and caring, and therefore care is effortless for them. Which is insulting to men because it implies that men don't love or care and to women because it implies that care-giving isn't sometimes bloody hard work and often something you do even if you don't feel like it.
Graceling
makes care heroic, but again not in a 'Men Are Rubbish, Traditional Femininity FTW' way. Katsa isn't an especially caring person, and the care she gives to Bitterblue isn't because she's a broody mumsy woman who instinctively cuddles and protects children. She does it because she has to, because that's the position she's in (which is, of course, the sort of position that many care-givers are in but that doesn't get a lot of air-time in fiction). She does positively want to care for Po but doesn't entirely know how to and eventually has to face the fact that she can't (which again is something that a lot of care-givers have to deal with). And the care she gives to Bitterblue is at her expense and almost kills her (yet another issue that arises with care in real life but not so often in fiction).
Another related note is that the escape is different not only from the classic 'running away' but also from the classic heroic rescue. It is undeniably a rescue: Bitterblue will die if Po and Katsa don't get her to safety. But rescues are usually all about the swinging through windows on ropes and having sword-fights and stuff. They aren't so much about actually getting away and keeping the rescued person alive. Which is wierd, because that's kind of the point? But fighting is for Heroes, and the way Heroes rescue people is to fight the threat until the threat is gone. It's the fictional version of a hostage-rescue by a SWAT team. Whereas in real life rescuing someone is usually not about destroying the threat but just getting the person out of the threatening situation and not unduly endangering yourself in the process. Which is what we have in
Graceling
.
The escape from Monsea brings all this stuff together, the practicality and survival and care. It says 'Sewing is a useful skill and so is fishing, and they could both save your life, and there's no reason for them to be gendered like they are'. It says 'Fighting injustice is grand, but surviving cruelty and oppression is also pretty bloody heroic.' It says, 'You can't always decide who needs your care and you can't always help the people you want to help, but if you can keep someone alive and safe you've done an amazing thing.' I really liked that about it.
And that may be why I wasn't too bothered about the odd brevity of the ending, because that didn't feel to me like the climax of the story. We'd already had the climax. The rest was more like a coda and a resolution of the 'Katsa's character development' thread.
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Andy G
at 01:19 on 2012-03-24I finally read this and it was just as brilliant as you said, so thanks for the recommendation.
I read Fire too. What did you think of that? I guess I thought it was good but not *as* good. The characterisation seemed weaker and there were fewer moments that made me just go 'wow'.
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