#A squad of approximately 5 people | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

toshidou · 2 years

Text

Let Me Be Your Lifeline

Pairing // Simon "Ghost" Riley x gn!Reader

Word Count // 2.2k

Tags // gender neutral reader, descriptions of injury, blood, Simon has a panic attack/ptsd attack, hurt/comfort, soap gets mad but lowkey understandably pls don't hate him, reader's alias is Siren, swearing, you help Simon when he needs you most (because you're amazing like that), established relationship

AN // you ever just have the thought of simon just Losing it because you get hurt, and the idea of him just. shutting down spurs you to write just over 2 thousand words about it? no? just me? cool. also this has barely been re-read, so if you see any spelling mistakes, no you didn't <3

Wrong

It’s all gone so hideously wrong.

It was never a simple mission to begin with, retrieving stolen information from people who would die to keep it in their possession. But it was something you had all done before, something you should have been more than capable of pulling off without so much as minor injuries.

The horrifying reality is setting in quickly though, your hand clutched to the left side of your collarbone, shuddering breaths pushed through gritted teeth as Soap attempts to shout something over deafening gunfire for merely two buildings over.

“We’ve got two down, Gaz is working his way to us, Ghost isn’t answering comms. Price is fine, the bullet passed through his leg, but Siren got hit below the left shoulder, they’re losing blood fast, the bullet made a clean entry through the back.” You’re barely listening to the reply from the evac squad, all you catch is an approximate time to pick up, 5 minutes. Apparently, there’s a medic on board. Every cloud and all that, you think, your head lolling down to assess the damage for the 4th time in 10 minutes.

Blood runs in nauseating streams between shaking fingers, soaking your uniform through to the skin underneath, the rough material sticking painfully to your wound, coaxing a hiss from bitten raw lips. Johnny’s eyes don’t leave you, worry etching itself into every fibre of his being, from his tense posture to anxiety ridden eyes, darting over various parts of your body as if examining for more wounds.

“Fuckin’ Christ L.T., how fucking copy,” He grits out, fingers holding his transmitter-receiver so hard that even in your shock ridden state, you worry it might just crumble in his hands. After another few seconds of tense silence, he speaks again, “Captain and Siren are down, evac is in T-4 minutes, and you need to get your ass down here right now, I don’t know where the fuck you are or what you’re doing, but if you miss the deadline, we’re leaving without you.”

For the first time since being shot, tears well against your lashline, unable to tell if your head is shaking as ferociously as you want it to in your weakened state. They can’t leave him behind, they can’t do that. He’s their squad member, their Lieutenant, your partner, the love of your life. You refuse to ever leave him behind, would rather they let you bleed out on this manky floor before you ever let that happen.

And then, a crackle.

“This is Ghost, package received.”

It’s relief that floods your system initially, pure unadulterated elation that he’s alive, he’s alive and he’ll be back, he won’t leave you.

But then his words sink through the cottonwool that seemingly clogs your mind, the gears turning enough to figure out that despite being compromised only a few minutes into the start of the mission, he still went for the stolen information.

In retrospect, that shouldn’t have been so shocking, but after months of domestic bliss with Simon Riley, you had almost forgotten about the Ghost. Neglected the memories of a man who was driven by a near suicidal need to complete missions handed to him. And it fucking hurts, more than the bullet hole through your shoulder ever could.

“What the fuck do you mean package fuckin’ received, we called for a retreat 20 minutes ago Ghost, you were meant to be here, not fucking around trying to find something we could have–,”

“That’s enough, Soap.” The interruption comes from Price, somehow looking as composed as ever despite his injury, the only sign he had been hurt at all were the slight tremors to his hands as he reaches up to his own transceiver.

“Just get yourself back here son, in one piece, preferably.”

“Affirmative, Captain.”

You close your eyes, willing away the tears that threaten to roll down dirtied cheeks, because if you cry, it makes this real, and not some twisted nightmare you’ll surely awaken from, safe in the strong arms of your love.

“Siren, come on, I need you to keep your eyes open, stay in the room with us, okay?”

Gaz? That’s new. Gathering enough strength, you lift your chin, eyelashes fluttering against your cheeks as you try to focus your gaze on him.

“There we go, we’re not done with you yet, Sergeant.” Gaz pins you with a reassuring smile, his hand coming to pat your knee as he crouches next to you.

“Ah, I knew you were all just using me for my impeccable combat skills and wicked charm,” you drawl, your lips turning up into a hint of a smile.

“Impeccable combat skills that got you shot in the shoulder, no less.” Despite feeling weak, and slightly woozy from bloodloss, you still don’t miss the opportunity to lightly shove at Gaz’s torso.

“Soap, we’re half a klick out from your location, be ready to extract in 30 seconds."

The momentary light-hearted banter is immediately quashed by a terse silence, the dawning realisation that Simon still isn’t here.

He still isn’t there when you hear the sound of a Humvee tearing down the road to the derelict building you’re all hiding in.

He still isn’t there when Soap creaks the door open, only to be met with a medic and two soldiers carrying stretchers.

He still isn’t there when both you and Price, much to the Captain’s chagrin, are assisted onto thick green gurneys, and carried into the back of the vehicle.

It’s only when your nerves have been frayed to their very core, until you’re mere seconds away from diving out through the small car window when you finally catch a glimpse of someone tall, someone familiar, your Simon. Euphoria surges through your bloodstream, all feelings of pain as the medic begins to assist with your wound numbed by the knowledge that he’s okay, he’s safe, he came back to you.

You seem to be the only one even remotely excited to see him, however. From the moment he near dives into the side door, barely able to sit before the truck wheels spin against gravel and take off down an endless dirt path to supposed safety, a suffocating hush envelops the entirety of the squad. The atmosphere so thick, it suspends you in it, makes your limbs feel like lead where they fall limp at your sides.

Though no one dares speak, unwilling to risk the release of pent-up anger, frustration and fear that crackles through the air akin to static energy, wild and unpredictable, Simon’s eyes hold nothing but utter worry. Dark, frenzied irises flickering from your shoulder where the medic continues to care for your injuries, to your face, though never meeting your gaze head on.

You can already sense the guilt setting in, more than used to how his mind works, lost in a constant battle of morals he can never seem to win. It’s frustrating to watch the way he reprimands himself, shoulders hunched to his ears, hands curled into tight fists against his thighs. The once towering, formidable force reduced to someone human. Someone struggling.

But still, you daren’t say a word, now is neither the time nor the place.

30 agonising minutes later, and the truck finally pulls up outside a safehouse. An old, abandoned factory building, if you had to make a guess. The roof looks like it’s one strong breeze from falling off, but what else is new?

Simon doesn’t take his eyes off you as you’re assisted out of the truck. Doesn’t dare blink when you shoo the medic away and towards a grumbling Price. You try to shoot him your best reassuring smile, the gesture rendered meaningless when you nearly trip over a rock after your first step, only saved by Soap darting forward and steadying you with an arm hooked around your waist.

Simon doesn’t move a muscle. His feet remain planted to the floor below him, and you can’t help but get the sickening feeling that something is very fucking wrong. In all the years you’ve known Simon, you’ve never seen him like this, near paralysed, painted black eyes ridiculously wide, so childlike in their fear. He looks nothing like the man you’ve grown to love, strong and steady in his emotions. And it chills you to the bone.

It's only once the door creaks shut that the silence is broken.

“What the fuck was that, Ghost.” Harsh syllables highlighted by a Glaswegian accent sound from next to your ear, your head twisting to the side only to be met with gritted teeth and furrowed brows.

You barely have the time to process the way that electricity sparks dangerously in the dusty atmosphere before all hell seemingly breaks loose.

“That was me doing my fucking job, Sergeant.”

“Your job is to put every member of the taskforce at risk? When the fuck did you receive that order, Riley? Because I sure as shit don’t remember it.”

Ugly, torrid rage lashes out across the room like strikes of a whip, so powerful it sends you stumbling away from Johnny’s grip and towards more neutral ground, your eyes briefly locking with Gaz’s equally perturbed stare.

“I wasn’t endangering any of your lives by doing what I was trained to do MacTavish, you were all gonna make it out fine whether I completed the mission or not.” There’s something about him that feels entirely too off, though the mask is extending much further than the one that resides on his face. Except this one is splintered, it’s flawed, split edges giving away to insurmountable pressure until it has no other option than to disintegrate, raw, unfiltered emotions left exposed, completely vulnerable.

And all it takes to break down the wall that is Simon Riley comes from the other man opposite you.

“What the fuck is wrong with you Simon? What sort of fucked up person lets his team, his fucking partner, nearly bleed out on the floor? Look at them,” A lone, shaking finger points towards you, “They could have died and where the fuck were you?”

“That’s enough, Soap.” The syllables scratch your throat with the force you spew them, but the damage has already been done.

You know that the second you glance at Simon and see nothing but the broken shell of a man, that you were too late. His body is vibrating with the force of his shakes, tremors wracking his body from head to toe, his chest heaving with ragged breaths, like a fish starved of oxygen. He’s having a panic attack. Or a flashback. Or something worse.

“Simon,” You call, keeping your voice calm as you swiftly approach him, ignoring the harsh twinge of pain as you lift both your arms up to curl your fingers around either side of his face, guiding his empty eyes down to you, “I’m right here, you’re safe, you’re okay.”

He gives you no sign that he’s even processing your touch, let alone your words, but you expect about as much. You may never have dealt with Simon’s trauma, but that doesn’t mean it’s new to you.

You keep talking to him, hushed, soothing reassurance along with sweeping fingers against masked cheekbones, physical and verbal reminders that no matter the size of the internal battle he faces, you’re right there with him, guiding him through. It’s only when large hands encircle your wrists do you feel any form of relief, brought nearly to tears as hollow brown eyes slowly ebb to life, pupils shining in the low light of the safehouse.

“You’re here.” His voice sounds scratchy, as though his inner cries were so visceral, they tore at his vocal cords, begging to be released. You’re not sure if you could ever handle hearing such noises from him, not without them plaguing your dreams for years to come

“Always.”

Your response has him crumbling, knees sinking to the cracked concrete floor with a resounding thump; strong arms come to wrap around your waist, near crushing you in his desperate grasp. You say nothing, simply cradling his head to your sternum, fingers soothing over the top of his mask as through they were threading through familiar strands of soft hazel.

You don’t have to look around to know that you and Simon are alone. That it’s safe for him to fall apart here, so you can tenderly piece him back together without prying eyes. You don’t care how long it takes, all you know is that you’ll be there to search through the rubble of his mind and find a new foundation, together.

It’s only after you’ve guided him to sit, swiftly placing yourself in his lap and pushing your bodies together until not a single space exists between you both, do you finally feel him settle against you. Your fingers hooking under his mask, lifting up, up, up, until you’re met with the face of your love, your Simon; the Ghost long forgotten as you place the mask on the ground beside your intertwined bodies.

Surprisingly, it’s him that brings your lips together, eyelids fluttering shut as you sigh against his mouth, following his hesitant lead, a kiss with the only intention of reassuring him that you’re still here, you’re still his.

And hours later, when you both lay on uncomfortable stone floor, arms and legs indistinguishable where they tangle together, you know it to be an irrefutable fact that despite his own beliefs, Simon Riley is by far the strongest man you’ve ever met.

But for those moments when he can’t be strong for himself, you will always be there to catch him, to piece him back together and remind him that he’s still whole, still human, and still yours.

Always yours.

#did i cry writing this #no one needs to know #but anyway i love him #he is tender and fragile pls treat him with care #also #soap and ghost immediately made up after this #have no fear #they are still best friends (/gay lovers but u didn't hear that from me)#simon ghost riley #ghost mw2 #simon riley x reader #cod mw22 #simon riley x you #simon riley #ghost x reader #soft simon riley #cod x reader #☁︎⋅writing

1K notes · View notes

g-xix · 1 year

Text

RANKING the BETA SQUAD + HC's

Ranking from 1-10 on the who i find most to least attractive out of the beta squad and co! This includes Harry Pinero, Filly, Johnny Carey, Gib and Darkest on top of the beta squad, also.

Kinda just realised after writing this that I didn't rank them on attractiveness but just how much I'd wanna date them + dating headcannons... But either way, onto the rankings:

10. Johnny Carey I gotta give it to him, he's SHREDDED which is a big positive, but his content j isn't relatable or accurate to me which is probs bc the target audience is boys... Still feels a bit dodgy though, not a massive fan of that + the fact I feel like he'd be kinda mean in the relationship and expect you to take a joke is he ever just says smth blatanly rude, which is not it for me. I'll give it to him though- he's really physically attractive and the accent is lowkey kinda hot

9. Filly Felipé He's such boyfriend material. Like, he's so cute and I feel like he'd be so touch-needy and loving, but at the same time he's so energetic I would NOT be able to keep up. And the laugh could probs shatter my eardrums because of the ultrasonic metro-boom it emits. I'm waffling- basically, I think he'd be a great boyfriend but he's just too friendzone-y for me

8. Chunkz Like Filly, I feel like Chunkz'd be so cute when he's touch-needy and just wants to chill and spend time together... But I feel like he'd be onesided...?? Like, if he wanted to just spend some time cuddling n watching a movie then that's be fine... But if you patted the bed n asked him to come spend some time he'd say "Nah not in the mood"- j like blatantly shut it down which i probs couldn't take, as a very touch-dependant person

7. Darkest This place where "I would deffo date and I think he's so cute" starts on the list. This guy deffo wouldn't turn down some quality affection whether that just be hugging or chilling with his arm around you, and I can imagine him being endless entertainment. Just coming into your room, asking what you're doing before launching into random conversation for approximately two hours before he remembers he came to let you know dinner was ready and on the table. He may be bald, but he's proof that boyfriend material isn't measured in hair follicles 🫶

6. Gib He's probs quite high on the list, but he'd be such a vibe honestly. He'd make fun of you in the way that's easily laugh-off-able and he'd not get offended if you threw a comment back. Definitely says no whenever you ask whether he wants to go out or spend time together, but when you go to leave he says "JOKING, JOKING, OF COURSE I DO" and then plans out the most amazing date or just general thing to do.

5. Sharky I know people might think he's proper low on the list but idk i just grew out of my finding Sharky hot phase within like two weeks... I think it has something to do with the fact someone called him a variation of Paul Breech on TikTok and that altered all my perceptions of Sharky. That being said, I feel like if he even looked at me for a SECOND I'd fold. Undeniably, this man is attractive, and I feel like he'd be so good in a relationship. He'd happily oblige to touch and cuddling and organise such cute dates even once he's asked you to be his gf. He's a Pinterest-core boyfriend I reckon <3

4. Harry Pinero I SEE EVERYONE PUTTING PINERO SO LOW. NAH. HE'S... Annoying at times but fine. I have conflicted feelings about his personality, but when he's that fine I can let being slightly annoying slide. I think he'd be so touchy around friends because he wants to show you, the gf off. Absolutely, unbelievably proud to have you as a gf and always has his arm around your waist, or your shoulder, or is bending down to whisper something into your ear with a grin. Also this might be a bit out of pocket, but I feel like sex life with him would absolutely be one of the most exciting- you all heard the story about him getting head in the back of the taxi, right? Yeah, sex life w Pinero would be WILD.

3. Niko He's fine but it feels wrong bc he has a gf- ever since I found that out I've been HEARTBROKEN- LIKE SOMEONE THAT'S FRESH OUT OF BEING DUMPED, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO AVOID HIM AND NOT CATCH FEELS AGAIN 😭. That being said, he's undeniably fucking gorgeous and he's funny and... He's everything. He is the moment. He is... not mine :( . He's got the full package though fr, and putting him any lower that top 3 on this list would be a VIOLATION.

2. AJ Honestly broke my heart having to choose between AJ and Kenny for top spot because they're BOTH. SO. FINE. Aj's hair is so attractive and his eyes are just so UGH. Man's out here proving the triangle really is the strongest shape. He's such a mix of golden-boyfriend-material and would-be-super-annoying, but I would cherish this man either way. I may be taller than him, but he's just too fine- his style, his hair, his eyes, his triangle-head- he's too hot for this world.

1. Kenny Of course, this man had to be number one. The hair when it's fresh is absolutely gorgeous and either way, he's so fine with the durag on. And the glasses as well?? Completely weak in the knees. He screams confidence because he just knows he's hot and that somehow makes him even more attractive. Plus him being a boxer but also being so soft and touchy just makes him 100% boyfriend material. Don't try convince me otherwise. Also strikes me as the type of guy to just know what you want... Like, he'd just come home randomly with ginger nut biscuits and you would finish them before the end of the day because they're just exactly what you needed. And he'd plan dates so perfectly. Once again, this man is fresh out of Pinterest, the way he'd organise the cutest picnic dates and activity nights <33

--------

I'm not too sure who you're meant to tag in tag lists but I'm gonna tag @lia-wrld who's also done this (check out her list) and @kennysboxergf who I first saw do this!

Thanks for reading n hope everyone enjoyed :)

To see more, here's my MASTERLIST

#beta squad #harry pinero #darkest #darkest man #filly #yung filly #headcannons #aj shabeel #king kenny #niko omilana #chunkz #sharky #youtube #youtubers #beta squad ranking #requests open #x reader

126 notes · View notes

squidthechaotickid · 1 year

Text

saw a bunch of people doing an oc prompt thingy for @sonic-oc-showdown and thought it would be fun :)

Name: Pip the Jackal

Species: Jackal

Type: Speed

Alignment: technically evil

🏡 - Home:

imagine having a home lmao (She travels around wherever a mission is)

✨ - How did you come up with the OC’s name?

Pip - Pipsqueak. She's tiny.

🌼 - How old are they? (Or approximate age range)

15!!

🌺- Do they have any love interest(s)?

Nope!! Definitely had crushes before, but since the Jackal Squad moved around so much she never got to act on any of them.

🍕 - What is their favorite food?

I don't think she got to eat out all that often, so pretty much anything fast food. She got a McDonald's quarter pounder with extra pickles hold the onion once and has dreamt of eating it every day since (her standards are low)

💼 - What do they do for a living?

Steal lmao

🎹 - Do they have any hobbies?

Mostly artistic ones,, like drawing, painting, sewing, etc, but they'll try anything if it looks cool enough and she can get the materials!!

🎯 -What do they do best?

She's has particularly good hearing!!

🥊 -What do they love to do? What do they hate to do?

Love - Hanging out with her Squad, annoying her Squad, doing silly little hobbies, being on missions

Hate - Being annoyed by her Squad, being put on lookout alone

❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories?

Her first "real" birthday, I'd think. The squad found out about her birthday soon after they found her and had something close to a regular party when it came around. It was the turning point when she really started opening up to them and became the excitable bubbly person she is (was?) Today :]]]

✂️ - What is one of your OC’s worst memories?

Anything from when she was alone. There was a period between her leaving her birth parents and finding the others where she was left to fend for herself -- she still gets nightmares.

🧊 - Is their current design the first one?

Nope!! She had a different color scheme and an altered back story before

🍀 - What originally inspired the OC?

I saw those two shadowy jacakls in the background of the pre comic and went insane from there

🌂 - What genre do they belong in?

I!! Really don't know what this is asking. Um. Adventure?

💚 -What is your OC’s gender identity and sexuality?

Demigirl and lesbian but um. She was halfway through figuring out the gender bit when she died abdbsbfbdhdh

🙌 - How many siblings does your OC have?

She considers the whole jackal squad her siblings so 5 :]

🍎 - What is the OC’s relationship w/their parents like?

TERRIBLE. They were not very nice :((

🧠 - What do you like most about the OC?

Her personality! She's so nice and bubbly with absolutely NO repressed trauma none at all haha

✏️ - How often do you draw/write about the OC?

Like half the drawings I made for her were done this week

💎 - Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC?

Ofc not!! Why would I ever kill her?? That would be so terrible ahaha

💀 - Does your OC have any phobias?

Terrified of being left alone for long periods of time.

🎓 - How long have you had the OC?

Since at least late September last year,, only a couple of months :]]]

#Please excuse any formatting issues I copied/pasted this whole thing and had to fix it bc it didn't save the paragraphs #squid rambles #Pip the jackal

8 notes · View notes

geneticcatalyst · 2 years

Text

physically at work but mentally face down on the floor chewing on the timeline of qi ye like a cat with an electrical cord. if you stop and think about any of this shit it gets even more off the wall than it already was. like the key here is that the protagonists of this dark political intrigue are, throughout the main plot in all its murderous glory, basically high school/early college age. so, okay, cool, kids are smart and vicious all the time, even when they don't have past life memories as cheat codes.

we can do a little math for most of the main cast and say that wu xi ahould be about 21 by the end of the book having been a hostage for ten years, and he's the youngest. jby is maybe 2 years older? the main plot gets going when he's about 15 and I think by the end he would be about 22-23. working backwards from the start of tyk which is said to be 4ish years post hly's ascension, an approximately 28yo zzs would have been 24ish by the end of qi ye, making him a bit older than jby. still cool, they are my favorite evil little frat boys, even if they have been doing crimes together since they were old enough to drive. theres less clues about the other members of the cohort, lu shen and he yunxing (only took me 2 reads to remember their names sorry guys). lu shen we know was the prime scorer, but I don't know off the top of my head how old people taking the exam had to be or typically were. I still figure they are a bit older than jby because it just underscores the comedy of being several centuries old but also the baby of the group but also the one calling all the plays. they could be older than zzs, also a bit of a prodigy, as well. however, I think they're still pretty young and inexperienced for all their promise (though a grain of salt is necessary for jby's narrative perspective because he thinks almost EVERYONE is young and inexperienced). I don't think they're older than hly.

now with the forewarning that i did not come here to worry about age gaps in fictional fantasy guys who don't even end up together or anything like that (there are WAY weirder things happening in this book ok), the part that kills me is, of course, hly. who is stated to be older from his first introduction, but like. the novel tells us outright he took the throne at 30. he was hanging around with the murder boys when they were probably like 16 and 18 and hly was like, 25. this like is a grown ass man with like a college degree and a job talking politics with his best advisors who are like. high school juniors. and not only is hly's little squad not batting an eye at doing the murders and the war crimes to advance his political career, it fucking. Works. like. imagine being the elder scions (who are in turn I think 5-10 years older than hly, so, definitely whole adults in at least their late 20s-30s here) with all your court advisors with decades of experience just getting absolutely and irrevocably wrecked by your kid half brother and his teenage war cabinet. i can't.

(which is my one final thought on the matter- if it seems weird that hly's best friends are years younger than he is- and it is a little weird- the simplest explanation for that is just that his two older brothers probably befriended the other noble kids in their approximate age range before he got the chance, and even those closer to him couldve easily preferred to suck up to the more power hungry older brothers. of course hly got whoever was left. rip.)

#cleaning out my drafts #here it is the qi ye timeline post #i have not done an annotated read yet though it is my fondest dream so if you see any inaccuracies you may well be right #i just think its tough to follow so I've laid it out the best i can for my own reference #this fucking book ok #qi ye #qy meta

12 notes · View notes

neutralgray · 1 year

Text

A Synthesized History: An Amateur Comparison of the Perspectives between the "Patriot's," the "People's," & The "True" History of the United States - Part 4

Full Essay Guide link: XX

(Patriot - Chapter 4 | People - Chapter 5 | True - Chapter 6 & 7)

Post-Revolutionary America, the Articles, and the Constitution

During the Revolutionary War and following its conclusion, the new "United States" had been governed by the Articles of Confederation. The Articles served as a leading document to outline the powers, agreements, and central federal role of the states.

Under the governing principles outlined by the Articles of Confederation, the federal government was weak and barely present. This was, of course, by design. Having been written during the Revolution, the United States' approached governing philosophy with the intent of being antithetical to the English government model. However, issues would arise between nationalists and Federalists (later known as "Anti-Federalists") who disagreed with how the United States should be governed, and these disagreements would lead to a complete restructuring of the government that resembles what we know today, some approximately 250 years later.

During the immediate post-revolution, Sjursen writes that there was a rise in general egalitarian principles across several states. Vermont banned slavery. New Jersey temporarily gave women complete voting rights. Activists advocated for better frontier territory representation. Schweikart and Allen also explain that the new constitutions of these states followed a philosophy of "natural law," with strong legislative branches and a weak executive and judicial branch.

The post-revolutionary landscape was not without its problems, of course. Domestic conflicts are often overshadowed in times of war, but the war was no longer a variable of distraction or a drain on resources. Some states, in an effort to pay off war debts, imposed taxes 2-3x higher than what the colonists were subjected to under English rule. Debts ran high and creditors were looking to collect. Following a decision in Massachusetts to raise the voting property qualifications to an absurd degree coupled with increasingly cutthroat ways of keeping the indebted in debt, rebellions naturally broke out.

The people involved in these rebellions and others like it were sometimes, even often, veterans of the Revolutionary War. These veterans were typically poor or middle class denizens that were turned into revolutionaries either through conscription or under presumed pretenses of greater benefits for their efforts than they actually received. In 1781 , troops in Morristown would kill a captain, disperse their officers, and march towards the Continental Congress in Philadelphia to demand payment since they had received none of their promised benefits-- these concessions were made and granted due to their excessive force. Another mutiny would occur in New Jersey but was ultimately put down by Washington and his forces, pardoning one leader and executing two others by firing squad. They were set as an example. These events also barely touch on the fact that black Americans and slaves were reeling harder than ever against the institution of slavery during this period. The Revolutionary War served as one of the biggest periods of civil unrest and slave revolt before the Civil War.

The most well known of these post-war rebellions was known as "Shay's Rebellion." Daniel Shay's followers called themselves "the Regulators." They often took it upon themselves to storm jails and free prisoners locked away for debt failure, storm county court houses to block the work of debt collectors, and generally made it a point to publicly protest the actions of a richer elite. They were disruptive enough that it caused notice among the influential in America. While Shay's Rebellion eventually fizzled out and Daniel Shays himself would be pardoned, it left a notable impression on the ones in power. If the common people could rally into a "mob" and forcibly create conflict over issues they did not agree was in the country's best interest (or theirs), how were the ruling parties supposed to halt these rebellions as a united front when the federal government was so weak and de-centralized? This inability to raise a standing army against domestic affairs was very likely a contributing factor in the argument against the Articles. It also directly led to the "Riot Act," which imposed much harsher responses to rebels and rioters such as the ones in Shays' brief rebellion.

With these rebellions becoming a not uncommon occurrence, there was also a growing fear over western frontier states declaring independence. Frontier land settlements already had requirements to meet the criteria to be considered a "state." These requirements were to reach a population of 60000+ people and draft a constitution before it could potentially be recognized as a state (see: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin). With these requirements in place to be a state, potential low ability to support expanding territory interests in Congress, and the weak federal government outlined by the Articles, what could truly stop a new territory or state from declaring their own independence, separate from the established "United States"?

Two opposing schools of thought began to develop: Nationalists, in support of a restructured federal government, and Federalists, who supported the Articles as they had been written. This terminology would later become murky when nationalists would re-brand themselves as "Federalists," likely recognizing the negative connotations of a "nationalist" label, and declared their opponents (the original Federalists) as "anti-federalists." Such a move helped control the narrative surrounding the ideological and philosophical debate between the two parties, giving the Federalist/Nationalist supporters a clear edge in the shifting political landscape.

Many of biggest critics of the Articles of Confederation were essentially early aristocrats who saw the rise of egalitarian tendencies among some of the states as "bad governance." Under the current political landscape debtors felt empowered to rebel and creditors had no guarantee of reliably collecting their funds. Without this basic assurance, a lot of the wealthy elite felt societal rule would collapse. In the Federalist Papers #62 and #63, James Madison provided arguments for why a well constructed senate was necessary, some of which included protecting the common people from their own "temporary errors and delusions." To a lot of the pro-Federalist/Nationalist side, there seemed to be a position of assuming the common person was sometimes incapable of governing themselves, and tended to sometimes give into "heated" decisions that would compromise the country under a direct democracy. Other quotes of interest included Henry Knox, who said "America must clip the wings of a mad democracy," and John Adams who stated "There never was a democracy that did not commit suicide."

The new Federalist vision for government had three primary goals:

Establish a stronger federal government

Replace legislative dominance with a better balanced legislative/executive/judicial model

End total equality of states in congressional decision making through a system of proportional representation

To usher in their mythical "empire of liberty," a new document on governance was being drafted to accomplish those goals-- the Constitution. The Articles of Confederation, however, as it had been written, did not make this change easy. Any revisions to the Articles themselves needed unanimous agreement from all states to be approved. This did not stop the Federalists, however, who would draft the Constitution with its own set of rules. Based on the Constitution's draft, only 9 of 13 states would need to agree to forcibly bind all of them to this new rule.

The Federalists had several advantages that would ultimately allow them to achieve their goals. As previously mentioned, the control of language to re-brand and confuse political labels by essentially stealing the term "Federalist" from their opponents gave them significant persuasive control through common talk. The Federalists worked in secret to draft much of the Constitution, blind-siding Anti-Federalists when the draft was finally being heavily pushed for voting. Lastly, the Federalists had more significant names attached to them. Many of the prominent "founding fathers" who pushed the states to and through the Revolutionary War were Federalists, while the Anti-Federalists were younger political names with not as much influence.

A new vision of government also meant revisiting previous debates and unresolved national issues. In 1619, when given the choice between buying and using slave labor or rejecting it, the young Britons accepted slavery. In 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was written and essentially outlined the philosophical underpinnings of a new nation, a section that condemned the practice of slavery was removed. And once again, in 1787, while considering revisions for their new federal government, this issue would once again be considered.

With the South relying so heavily on slave labor due to their expansive plantations and powerful land owners, the potential for immigration to the southern states was severely stifled. If no well paying labor incentives were present, people had little reason to make their homes there. Thus the southern states pushed for slaves to be considered as a number of the population for the purposes of representational voting. Slaves were not given a chance to vote or participate in any meaningful facet of society and yet the southern powers wanted to use their bodies as a way to bolster votes under the rules laid out under the Constitution's proposed House of Representatives. This would lead to the infamous "Three-Fifths Compromise," in which slaves would be counted as 60% of an individual... this, of course, did not mean anything for the slaves. It just boosted the power of slave using states who felt threatened after slavery was outlawed for any new states forming north of the Ohio River.

The Constitution was passed with enough support and it became the law of the land. This document outlined the functions of Congress and its two houses, the supreme court, and the functions of the executive, legislative, and judicial branch. The Anti-Federalists did not lay down completely, though. According to Schweikart, the amended Bill of Rights was largely thanks in effort to the repeated and undeniable criticisms many Anti-Federalists took with the Constitution; namely that it did not outline the civil liberties of United States citizens. In a sense, the Bill of Rights was not so much an issuance of rights as it was an outlined limitation on what the state should not be able to do.

Despite the supposed "need" for the Constitution, effective and influential laws still passed under the Articles of Confederation. Of the laws passed under the Articles before their total replacement, some prominent ones were the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. These acts had multiple intentional and unintentional functions:

Outlined a plan for the division and occupation of all land ceded by the British

The land was sold directly to citizens to generate wealth since the government could not issue direct tax under the Articles

Fueled the crisis and fiscal depression of post-war America due to ongoing and difficult fights with the Natives

Outlawed slavery north of the Ohio River, which caused backlash among the Southern States who not only opposed this but tried to push for slavery expansion

Provided a reason for land speculators to want a stronger federal government so organized forces could be amassed to defeat Native threats

Doomed Native Americans to conquest, subservience, or expulsion as the United States denizens continued to push

These threats on the Natives were horrific but also largely more of the same treatment that had come to expect from their American neighbors. In point of fact, after the Revolution, in 1779, George Washington devoted a third of his forces to the destruction of Iroquois Natives, labeling it as the "main American military effort" of that time. Under the ordinances, atrocities would continue in the name of expanding this new heavily Christian country.

Zinn makes a point of discussing how the Constitution was sensible in a vacuum-- assuming the government was completely impartial and served as "neutral referees" guiding the states through the efforts of opposing factions, rather than the reality that the people in government were also participants in society and thus had interest in maintaining a specific social order. He also argues that the Constitution does, of course, provide some support to middle class income which helped establish its broad support base, which insulates it from criticism from the lower class, i.e. black Americans, Natives, and poor white Americans. This was even supported by Schweikart and Allen's "patriotic" vision of American history, when it was written that Alexander Hamilton actively sought alliance between the government and the wealthy elite, rationalizing that the rich would likely not help the country if left to their own devices, and this alignment would provide a stronger investment in the institution of government.

Zinn also goes on to say that support was further bolstered by the addition of the Bill of Rights the Anti-Federalists pushed, but even with those revisions, the law still proved malleable. The Sedition Act of 1798 extended citizenship requirements, granted the president the ability to deport foreigners, and made it a punishable offense to " print, utter, or publish…any false, scandalous, and malicious writing" about the American government. This all stemmed from a fear of non-American settlers sympathizing with the French when the United States was on the brink of war with them. These laws essentially violated the supposed principles of "freedom of speech," demonstrating that laws could be determined, changed, or even outright ignored if it suited the powers that be.

Final Thoughts:

With the conclusion of these chapters, it's becoming more clear exactly what each voice wishes to convey in their writing. Schweikart and Allen take a more linear approach to history, describing major events as they happen and keeping things "simple" while providing historical context and details not often touched in basic history classes. However, Schweikart and Allen clearly have a point to make in their version of history through a "patriot's" eyes. While they do condemn many terrible acts undeniably committed by the United States; often, many acts by major political influencers are told in a more "apologetic" tone, with a sense of reverence that may not always be deserved. A Patriot's History also wants to constantly remind you that the United States was a Christian nation, despite some effort on the founders' parts to remove explicit Biblical references in government doctrine. It is, of course, very important to realize and accept the significant role Christianity played in the founding and influence of the United States, as this is often overlooked when history is re-told. However, Schweikart and Allen seem to reject that there is any value in the often quoted guiding principle of "separation of church and state," instead emphasizing the way in which Christianity helped create a supposed a sense of civic morality. Considering the consistent backstabbing done to Natives when tenuous peace was made and the industry of slavery providing much of the nation's wealth, I am doubtful of the supposed "civic morality" Christianity gave the new nation.

Zinn outlines a lot of interesting political takes which are more theoretical in concept but based in fact and undeniable when analyzed and compared to how the system of United States government seems to work. He also presented presented perspectives and details I could not fit naturally into the essay above, but that I would like to mention now:

Zinn discussed the writings of another American historian, Charles Beard, who proposed that the Constitution essentially had to be most beneficial to the wealthy elite because it was drafted by the wealthy elite. Even if not actually malicious in intent, these are the economic interests these men most well understood, ergo their foundation of federal government would be biased in this direction.

Zinn also briefly discussed Thomas Jefferson and his Anti-Federalist tendencies, which is a striking difference between him and other American founders. Jefferson even believed rebellion was healthy for society, as the "tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Sjursen surprises me. I am inherently leftist so my interpretation of these texts will lean left. When going in to these texts, I fully expected Sjursen to be the most radically left of the books, especially since the subtitle of his book is "Indigenous Genocide, Racialized Slavery, Hyper-Capitalism, and Other Overlooked Aspects of American Exceptionalism." Thus far, though, while Sjursen makes no secret his criticism and condemnation of many American actions, he does try to provide some rationale and context for these early historical years. I expect as we approach the modern era this may change.

We are now past the point of the United States establishing itself under new law, adopting the document that still guides the structure of American government today.

#A Synthesized History #A True History #A Patriot's History #A People's History #Howard Zinn #Daniel A. Sjursen #Larry Schweikart #Michael Allen #History #American History #Grey's thoughts #Educational #Opinion #Essay Writing

1 note · View note

greyslightning · 2 years

Text

Calico cat squishmallow

#Calico cat squishmallow how to#

#Calico cat squishmallow Patch#

#Calico cat squishmallow series#

Categoriesīuy Squishmallow Easter 12 inch Charlotte the Pink/Purple Cat, Large Super Soft Plush at Walmart.Com. She has closed eyes, black whiskers and a satisfied, crimson cat mouth.

#Calico cat squishmallow Patch#

She has one red patch over her left ear, and two purple patches, one on her right ear and the other on her decrease right body. KellyToy Squishmallows eight” Caeli The Pink Purple tie Dyed cat Plush Pillow Stuffed Toy.Ĭharlotte is a calico cat with a cream body and red and crimson patches. Tiffany the Calico Cat is a crimson and purple Squishmallow from the Valentine Squad. This plushie loves swimming and using warm air balloons no matter having terrible eyes. Morgan the Monster is available in a purple hood, black frame, and manlike palms, featuring a metal but warm-hearted character. Yes, there may be a Squishmallow named Morgan from the Dorney Park and the Wildwater Kingdom (a United States topic park). True Thompson is loving her hairy tom cat! The four-yr-antique daughter of Khloé Kardashian, 37, and Tristan Thompson, 31, cuddled. Think you understand your cat? These cat data in an effort to blow your mind and make you notice cats very in a different way. Summer Fun – Charlotte the pink and crimson cat with drink Pink and pink cat with embroidered drink Measures 16" tall Super squeezable Squishmallow 16 In Summer Fun Pink and Purple Cat with Drink Be the first to review this product $29.99 Out of stock SKU KY16INSFCATPKPR This toy has an extra $4.99 shipping fee. Squishmallow 12" Bubbles Purple Bunny Easter Squad Lavender Plush 2017 Rare. Reply on Twitter 1567652267288821760 Retweet on Twitter 1567652267288821760 Like on Twitter 1567652267288821760 5 Twitter 1567652267288821760 Load Moreįind many high-quality new & used options and get the quality offers for Squishmallows Charlotte the Cat Pink and Purple 12" Plush Easter Squad 2017 at the pleasant online costs at eBay! Free transport for lots products!. The domesticated ones have even found a home in neighborhoods at the same time as others continue to thrive within the wild. Could it’s you? Appearance Tiffany is a calico cat with a cream frame and pink and pink patches.ĭespite their recognition for being dominant and independent, cats have effortlessly made their way into the hearts of many people. She likes to play tennis and is searching out a doubles companion. Bio Tiffany's favourite Valentine's drink is chocolate milk with crimson coronary heart sprinkles. Caeli loves long and sparkly nails even though they from time to time get caught whilst she's knitting. $34.99 About this item KellyToy Squishmallows 8" Caeli he crimson purple tie dyed Cat Bio: Who's that cat caught inside the yarn, it ought to be Caeli! This cunning cat is a yarn expert but from time to time she receives all snarled. Some things can also appear obvious but, within the exhilaration on the brand new arrival they are able to get left out Sandra Kim / Getty Images Bringing domestic a newly followed cat or kitten can be a exceptional exciti.

#Calico cat squishmallow how to#

Some pinnacle tips to remember approximately how to call your cat. READY, SET, SQUISH! Squishmallows are as cuddly as they are adorable! HUGGABLE SIZE.

#Calico cat squishmallow series#

Shop the whole series of normal, spring and child merchandise! Over five million sold!Įach Squishmallow has its personal precise call and storyline to add to the amusing. Squishmallows are the softest, cutest, cuddliest plush around.

#Calico cat squishmallow

0 notes

longbackup · 2 years

Text

Onslow county nc storm rsscue

The swift-water rescues on Saturday morning were mostly of people who hadn’t heeded those orders, said Burgaw Fire Capt. Some parts of Burgaw commonly flood during heavy rains, and officials went to those parts before Florence’s arrival to tell residents there to evacuate. Areas further inland through southwest Virginia could see as much as 15 inches of rainfall.īy mid-afternoon Saturday, about 20 rescue operations had taken place in communities near the Northeast Cape Fear River and one of its tributaries, the Black River, said Tammy Proctor, spokeswoman for Pender County Emergency Management. Administrative staff is available at the Onslow County Emergency. We assist Volunteer Fire and Rescue agencies across the county with supplemental staffing during the hours of 6 a.m. Steve Goldstein, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration liaison to FEMA headquarters, said on Saturday that the storm would "produce catastrophic flooding for some time," adding that many rivers would still experience catastrophic flooding from the storm and that 3- to 5-foot storm surges were still possible along the coast. The Fire Rescue Division is comprised of Emergency Responders, a Fire Marshal and is overseen by a Fire Rescue Division Chief. WHAT'S NEXT? Why the Carolinas may face even more danger in Florence's floodwaters "We’re asking people, please stay off the streets unless it is an absolute emergency," he said. Coast Guard and others rescued 20 to 30 people in River Hills, a subdivision near Jacksonville, North Carolina.īurgaw Mayor Pete Cowan warned that the local hospital was not accessible it had already been evacuated. ET, the center of the depression was southwest of Columbia in South Carolina and was moving west at around 8 mph. Can you find a way to save your familys business and the customers inside when the storm hits Will you rescue a young woman who is floating by on the. Pay a ticket/lost tickets 0 Onslow County EMS and Rescue Squads dispatch. Saturday, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service. Onslow County Emergency Service Ambulance, located in Jacksonville, NC. A little more than 14 inches of rain fell on Wilmington, North Carolina, as of 6 p.m.ET, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. There were around 658,000 power outages in North Carolina as of 11:15 p.m.The total dead from the storm in North and South Carolina was at least 11 as of 12 a.m.Two died in Horry County, South Carolina, of carbon monoxide poisoning amid the storm, officials said. Three people were killed in Duplin County, North Carolina, in separate incidents after their vehicles washed away in high waters, according to Duplin County Sheriff Blake Wallace.Here's the latest on Tropical Depression Florence: Rescued families were delivered to shelters, where approximately 20,000 people across the state were housed on Saturday.

#Onslow county nc storm rsscue

0 notes

autistic-lalli · 2 years

Text

Close Read of the Adventure 1 Page 385-391 Flashback

Or, The Hotakainens Weren't Doing So Hot At Keuruu, Really

I said in my tags I was only going to do a fic or close read the flashback, but AHA, YOU WERE FOOLED, I’M DOING THEM BOTH!

We’re going to jump straight in with page 387, panel 4:

Page 387, panel 4-6

This event tells us a lot about Lalli as a child, but I think it also raises a lot of questions. Why was Lalli so vague with his report? Was he especially tired that day? Did he just not care? Did he think a simple “kyllä” communicated everything the skalds needed to know?

I think the answer to that last question is probably a yes; Lalli’s one to assume that other people should know what he’s thinking. If this is an exception in his work, though, then I think there’s a more subversive issue at hand: Lalli was under some kind of stress, and his mistake did cost lives (or at least serious injuries; it’s not clear if anyone actually died,) but that stress isn’t ever addressed directly. This is a tricky situation, don’t get me wrong! When your work has such high stakes it’s hard to balance letting people be human and holding people to a necessarily high standard.

(But, on that note, maybe part of the solution is not placing the safety of entire squads on the backs of like, thirteen-year-olds.)

Page 388, panel 1-2

But, the higher-ups do offer grace for Lalli’s mistake, at the very least. No punishment is issued, and additional training is required to prevent such problems again. However, it’s almost more problematic that Lalli isn’t singled out. He’s learned his lesson, sure, but if the problem isn’t just Lalli “not using his words,” then is the problem really solved? Or is Lalli simply going to internalize even more stress and anxiety?

Page 388, panel 4-9

I think seeing the intermediate step of the entire Hotakainen dynamic is incredibly interesting. It’s clear that Tuuri has always played haphazard peacemaker, being the only one of the three of them who has any desire to openly solve conflict (is she good at it? Absolutely not.) She’s worried about Lalli, and would like to check on him, but isn’t able to reach out effectively. I often condemn Tuuri pretty harshly for the way she treats Lalli in conflict towards the end of Adventure 1, but I suspect their relationship wasn’t always like this. I bet Tuuri tried really hard in the earlier days to keep herself and her family all connected and together. But without Onni and Lalli’s help (and, let’s be honest, a therapist,) she never stood a chance of actually keeping them all together and healthy.

(There’s also something to be said about Tuuri and gender roles. It stands out to me that the only woman among the three of them is the one who is ever actively trying to solve interpersonal conflict. There are, of course, a lot of other reasons and factors for this imbalance, but it’s also interesting to observe.)

Page 389, panel 2-5

Okay at this point I went on a 30-minute tangent to try and figure out what kind of bread Lalli was eating. Anyways, Lalli grabbed a stimmy samefood when he’s upset and he’s so valid.

It’s probably also good to note that Lalli hides, yes, but he doesn’t have to work very hard to hide. He’s easily able to find time by himself—something that is probably both to his benefit and to his detriment.

Page 389, panel 6-7 through page 390, panel 1-6

ALRIGHT KIDS we’re gonna spend some time unpacking these four lines.

First of all, talking about approximate ages—Onni’s age is harder to track visually, but Lalli and Tuuri’s appearances help guide us more. I place Lalli at about eleven or twelve, which puts Tuuri in the ballpark of thirteen or fourteen, and Onni about nineteen or twenty. And let me say, holy shit. That’s a terrible time of life to try and navigate on your own, and an even harder spread of ages to navigate as a group. Onni’s just entered adulthood, Tuuri’s just hitting puberty, and Lalli’s a preteen. People don’t handle that gracefully without trauma.

It's only been two or three years since Saimaa, and the trauma? On this scale? That’s super fresh. The Hotakainens are vulnerable and in massive stages of transition. Everything is raw and they are not at their best.

“Give me an acceptable explanation.”

And Onni wants an explanation. He came away from Saimaa knowing one thing, and teaching Lalli the same: they don’t make mistakes. They can’t make mistakes. They can’t afford it. He’s trying to hold Lalli accountable, and he is! But he’s doing it so badly because he doesn’t know any better.

And I don’t think we can blame him. The only model any of the kids had was Ensi—and presumably the other scouts and hunters, the individuals directly responsible for the entire village’s safety. It was probably deeply damaging to Lalli to go out scouting so young; yes, vital to the village’s survival to train him starting very early, but an enormous amount of stress to subject a nine-year-old to. Ensi was harsh and precise when the moment called for it, and that’s how Onni has learned to teach.

A key difference, though, is that Ensi was teaching children who were also supported by a larger community. While the Hotakainens are at least generally supported in Keuruu, it’s simply not the same—here they’re workers. It’s not their family. And here they’re children coming in lost and afraid with virtually no safety net.

“Leave me alone! I��ve made one mistake! Less than others!”

Lalli is already buckling under the pressure placed on him. He’s an actual child in the military, for starters (a different problem for a different post,) and he’s a child who’s both seen and experienced horrific things. Putting that child in charge of information that dozens of people depend on for safety? He’s been set up for failure.

It’s implied from the scout meeting that even the apprentice scouts work independently. So Lalli is a child who works on his own, doing a vital job that multiple people depend on, all while carrying fresh grief and intense trauma.

All that to say, Lalli is tired, stressed, and worn out. He’s had no chance to recover from the outbreak, and likely wouldn’t even know how to start even if he had the time and the space. Onni’s just as lost as Lalli—he carries just as much responsibility and grief, simply in different areas.

“Never try that excuse again! We’re not allowed to make mistakes, not under any circumstances! Grandma made one mistake, and see where that got us.”

Onni is worn out, too. Raising younger family members is a traumatic experience all on its own, and the additional circumstances aren’t helping. Quite frankly, he just doesn’t know what he’s doing. Onni’s entire world got ripped out from under him and he’s still trying to pick up the pieces.

He knows one thing, though: mistakes cost lives. Mistakes can kill you and other people. One mistake gave them the pain they have today.

I suspect Onni, and probably also Lalli (jury’s out on Tuuri,) carries a lot of resentment towards Ensi. It probably ebbs and flows over the years, but Ensi was the closest to being able to do something, and she didn’t. Ensi could have escaped the kade, and she didn’t.

One thing that’s particularly interesting is this “we.” It obviously refers to Onni and Lalli, but is that it? They both have high-stakes jobs, it’s very reasonable for them to aim for a high standard, but this reference seems more personal. Other people here have high-stakes jobs, too. But Onni and Lalli specifically aren’t allowed to make mistakes.

Because Onni wants them to make up for Ensi’s mistake. Onni and Lalli don’t just carry the trauma of their childhoods, they carry the guilt. Their family made a mistake that cost dozens of lives, and it’s up to them to make up for it.

To make a mistake is to bring death to some and suffering to the rest.

“Come and eat something proper.”

At the end of the day, Onni does care about Lalli—he’s just pretty abominable at showing it. He’s trying incredibly hard to take care of Lalli, but the situation is more complicated than that. Not only is Lalli approaching his teenage years, a time of life when kids start to resist more direct caretaking as they begin to find their own boundaries, but Lalli’s also had to grow up far too fast. He’s super independent, which makes Onni’s already poor attempts at caregiving and connection unusually clumsy and ineffective.

“...Going to bed...”

Here we see that the patterns of the adults in Adventure 1 have existed for years. For both Lalli and Onni, when one doesn’t want to participate in a discussion, they simply... leave. Lalli feels embarrassed, condemned, and unsupported. In all likelihood he’s going to go to bed, have a good little cry about it, and go to sleep. Lalli and Onni care so deeply about each other, but their communication has never been super clear. In many ways, it’s the Hotakainens against the world, all they have is one another, but when the world isn’t being antagonistic? The stress quickly breaks down the substance of their bonds, leaving them even more isolated as they struggle to connect with one another.

#we feeling hotakainen feelings toNIGHT boyz #sssscomic #my shit #stand still stay silent #onni hotakainen #lalli hotakainen #tuuri hotakainen #analysis #meta #close reading

24 notes · View notes

batmanisagatewaydrug · 3 years

Note

top ten movies you saw this year :)

as you very well know, because I told you so on discord, I decided this had to be movies that I saw for the first time this year. this turned out to be extremely difficult, because I hate movies, don't watch a lot of them, don't really like a lot of the ones I do watch, and don't keep track of movies I've seen the way I do with books. tl;dr, I'm in hell.

10. Hellboy (2004, dir. Guillermo del Toro)

I was actually entering a deep pit of despair trying to recall a tenth movie when I remembered that you said you'd end our friendship if I didn't put Hellboy on the list, so here's Hellboy. nice tits on Ron Perlman, a fish-man you could date, a plot that I do not remember even remotely a little bit. what more could you want?

9. Spider-Man 2 (2004, dir. Sam Raimi)

yeah, all three Raimi Spider-Man movies are going to be appearing on this list. I saw them all for the first time approximately two weeks ago and if you couldn't tell by my catboy Harry Osborn icon, I wouldn't say that I liked them a normal amount. did I like them? oh, yeah. a normal amount? absolutely not.

8. Interview with the Vampire (1994, dir. Neil Jordan)

I just think it's neat when Tom Cruise bursts through a burning wall like the Kool-Aid man to bitch out his husband Brad Pitt for setting their house on fire and rendering them homeless. I think that's when cinema peaked.

7. Spider-Man (2002, dir. Sam Raimi)

yeah it's Spider-Man again. you're all real lucky I didn't make this #1 for having a pathetic and fuckable little Willem Dafoe crawling around on the floor and twitching at people.

6. The Suicide Squad (2021, dir. James Gunn)

yeah I actually did watch a single new movie this year. it was better than the old Suicide Squad, which was a low fucking bar, but also genuinely fun and funny. I didn't want to like it but I did. daddy DC wins again.

5. Little Shop of Horrors (1986, dir. Frank Oz)

Audrey II did nothing wrong.

4. Near Dark (1987, Kathryn Bigelow)

it's about the fluids.

3. Crimson Peak (2015, dir. Guillermo del Toro)

this is one of the single most beautiful and beautifully-made movies I've ever, the absolute pinnacle of gothic romance, and the fact that I didn't feel like I could honestly rank it higher than fucking Spider-Man 3 makes me want to apologize to, I don't know, God? Martin Scorsese? definitely someone.

2. fucking Spider-Man 3 (2007, dir. Sam Raimi)

it's just got everything, man. this movie wrapped up the saga of the most toxic thruple in New York City in ways that inflicted real, tangible damage on my brain and I loved every second of it. I never wanted it to end. I would have watched Peter, MJ, and James Franco torture each other forever. what, you want a coherent plot? shut the fuck up. you're weak. get out of here,

1. Pig (2021, dir. Michael Sarnoski)

it's Pig, man. it's just... it's Pig.

26 notes · View notes

costis · 3 years

Text

Queen’s Thief character age chart

here's a massive thing full of speculation and vague sketchy evidence: queen's thief character age chart! (with explanations) huge huge huge thank you to @whocalledhimannux for their queen's thief timeline and also to all the lovely people who piece these things together with me in the queen's thief discord!

disclaimer: a good deal of this is guesswork, and also mwt has intentionally left character details open so that readers can fill in their own assumptions. therefor, even the canon bits of this aren’t strictly canon, and you are encouraged to imagine characters however old or young you want.

Image description and further explanation under the cut!

[ID: a chart with characters (gen irene, helen, sophos, costis, kamet, and pheris) listed on the left side, and books (tt, qoa, koa, acok, tat, and rott) listed above. the graph is filled with the ages of each character in each book, as follows: gen, 15 in tt, 16-19 in qoa, 19 in koa, 19-20 in acok, 20-21 in tat, and 20-23 in rott. irene, 23 in tt, 24-27 in qoa, 27 in koa, 27-28 in acok, 28-29 in tat, and 28-31 in rott. helen, 20 in tt, 21-24 in qoa, 24 in koa, 24-25 in acok, 25-26 in tat, and 25-28 in rott. sophos, 13 in tt, 14-17 in qoa, 17 in koa, 17-19 in acok, 19-20 in tat, 19-22 in rott. costis, 16 in tt, 17-20 in qoa, 20 in koa, 20-21 in acok, 21-22 in tat, 21-24 in rott. kamet, 18 in tt, 19-22 in qoa, 22 in koa, 22-23 in acok, 23-24 in tat, 23-26 in rott. pheris, 7 in tt, 8-11 in qoa, 11 in koa, 11-12 in acok, 12-13 in tat, 13-15 in rott. end ID.]

What we know for sure:

Helen is 20 during TT and Gen is 15 (note: there's a chance he's 16, depending on when in the summer it is.) Helen has been queen for 5 years and became queen when she was 15. Gen is 5 years younger than her. Gen’s birthday is in the summer. Sophos is younger than Gen by an unspecified amount, but old enough to be apprenticed to the Magus. (TT, Eddis short story, RoTT)

QoA takes place a year after TT, making Helen 21 and Gen 16 at the start and spans two more years. Helen says mid-QoA that she’s been queen seven years, making her 22 and Gen 17 at that point, and they are 23/24 and 18/19 by the end. Note: Due to Gen’s birthday being in the late summer and him being captured in the summer, there is a chance he’s already 17 at the beginning. If not, his birthday is shortly after. Irene is older than both Helen and Gen, and is old enough that Phresine worries about her producing an heir before too long, but young enough to still be considered attractive for more than political reasons. She became queen when she was younger than Gen is during the marriage proposal (18), and was engaged for a year during puberty beforehand. She had already been queen for a few years when Helen became Eddis. (QoA)

Gen and Irene get married in the summer. KoA (not counting the prologue) picks up less than two months after the end of QoA, starting in late summer or early autumn, making Gen 19. Only about four months pass from prologue to end, or two from chapter one to end. Costis is older than Gen, but “very young for a squad leader,” and Teleus accepted him a year below age limit. He was promoted to squad leader after the Battle of Thegmis (presumably the retaking of Thegmis, which takes place towards the end of the war). (KoA)

ACoK and TaT overlap some, with TaT also overlapping with RoTT. Gen is still 19 when Sophos arrives in Attolia, but turns 20 by the end of ACoK. Sophos goes through the final stages of puberty during his time as a slave and shortly after. (ACoK, RoTT)

Kamet estimates himself to be the same age as or slightly older than Costis. He was purchased by Nahuseresh when he was still a child, and has been with him for many years. Nahuseresh is attractive enough to interest Irene’s attendants, so presumably he’s middle aged at most. Gen is at least 20, possibly 21 when Costis and Kamet arrive in Attolia. (QoA, TaT, RoTT)

Two or slightly less than two more years pass from that point to the end of Rott, for a total of about 8 years in which the series takes place. Gen is 23 and Helen 28 at the end of the series. (RoTT)

Speculation:

General note: contrary to popular belief, the average age children reach puberty has not changed much throughout history.

Irene: Irene went through a growth spurt either before or while she was engaged, and was married a year after, making her anywhere between 12 and 17 when she was engaged. She was younger than 18 when she was married, so I would approximate she was 14 or 15 when engaged and 15 or 16 when married. She was already established when Helen took the throne, so I’ll say 3 or 4 years between the two of them becoming queens, making Irene 3 to 6 years older than Helen and 8 to 11 years older than Gen, most likely on the lower end of that.

Sophos: Sophos is finishing puberty when he becomes king, making him 16-19. Since he’s younger than Gen, who’s 19 at the time, my guess would place him at 17 years old at that point.

Costis: Costis is older than Gen by an unspecified amount, but very young for his rank of squad leader, and it’s mentioned there’s men twice his age serving in the guard, which means he’s probably below 25 if we assume the guardsmen retire around 50. The form of the Queen’s Guard is (loosely) based on the real-world Praetorian Guard, which recruited men between 15 and 32. Costis was a year below age limit when he was recruited, making him 14 if we follow Praetorian guidelines. It would take a minimum of four years for a Praetorian to be promoted to the equivalent of a squad leader, making Costis 18 at the youngest when promoted. However, he was promoted towards the end of the war (at which point Gen is 18), so he was either older when he was recruited, or took longer than four years. I’ll put him at 14 when recruited, 17-19 during the war with Eddis and Sounis, 19 when he gets promoted, and 20 at the start of KoA.

Kamet: If we take Kamet’s word for it, which I’m choosing to do because I’ve already done too much speculation and math, he’s either Costis’s age or a bit older, making him from 21 to 25 at most at the start of TaT. I’ll put him in the middle at 23.

Pheris: (forgive me I haven’t reread RoTT yet) Other characters assume Pheris is younger than he is, since he’s small and frail for his age. He’s old enough to be considered as an attendant for the king, so I would guess he’s 10 at the youngest when he arrives in the palace, but probably more like 12-13, making him 15-16 by the end of RoTT

i have not included minor characters because they’re even harder to pin down and this post is already long enough, but feel free to drop an ask or message if you want my guesses on any of them!

#queen's thief #the queen's thief #tqt #mwt #megan whalen turner #hoo boy i just spent ~2 hours on this

142 notes · View notes

thewatchau · 2 years

Photo

From this picrew

I’ve been sitting on this for a while, but I really wanted to put a couple of my DnD characters into the Watch, and this is the first! This campaign fizzled out a while ago, and most of their story adapts nicely.

–

Name Ash Bates

DOB 17th March 1598

House Marvin

Orientation Acearo nonbinary

Appearance

Short and slight, approximately 5 feet tall and looks like a good breeze might knock them over. Tanned, olive skin, freckled beyond belief, with a dark brown, curly hair and brown eyes. Dresses in greens and browns usually, with clothes that looked like they were too big for their frame and mended many times. Is often seen with flowers in their hair, or otherwise wearing a flower crown.

Personality

First impressions of Ash will convince you that this is a quiet, anxious, innocent, sweetheart for whom butter would not melt in their mouth. Anxious is correct, innocent, mostly. Ash likes to observe long before acting, and will often be nervous about acting too. They’re especially nervous around people, and the most at ease when out with their bow. However, there is a mischievous streak, borne of being the youngest of four.

History

Born the youngest of four siblings in the westerly parts of House Brody. Father is a carpenter, mother an ex-mercenary. Their oldest sibling, Terry, was a Knight in the Guard Coalition before he disappeared. The next one, Carson, is a tinkerer in Monacoil’s Lake District with his boyfriend, while Ash’s closest in age sibling, Hudson, is training to be a carpenter like his dad.

Ash grew up very close with their brothers, Terry specifically, even though he was about 19 when they were born. Terry wasn’t home much, but Ash loved it when he was. Ash’s brothers were very protective of Ash, which led to them not really learning how to stand up for themselves, which only exacerbated the already present social anxiety.

Their mum, being an ex-mercenary and member of the Mercenary Syndicate, taught all of her children to defend themselves early on. Terry was the only one who really took to it, but all four of them can fight with a sword if need be. Ash’s father would take them out on hunting trips a few times a year, usually towards the Cuartalan Wetlands, where he hailed, but sometimes on the edge of the Western Forest too.

Ash was 5 for the Overnight Defence, and spent most of it awake, being passed from father to brother as Terry and their mum ran around the village, trying to see off the threat and protect people.

In late 1613 two key things happened. One, Terry disappeared from the Guard. No word from any of his squad mates, the Guard have no idea what happened. It’s like he vanished into thin air. Second, a raid hit Ash’s hometown, and Ash spent some time defending it with their bow, once was the raid was over the adrenaline finally faded and they had the worst panic attack of their lives.

Ash’s mum never expected any of her children to become merceries, except maybe Terry, so him becoming a Knight was something of a disappointment, even if she was still proud. Still, she never expected Ash of all people to have the makings of that career. So, she began to push them towards that career path, when Ash really didn’t have any plans. Eventually, the combination of their missing big brother and the building pressure from their mum broke something and Ash ran away in the night. Taking their brother’s old leather armour, their bow, quiver and arrows, some food and some money.

From there they didn’t really have much of a plan. They wanted to prove that they could succeed without their mother breathing down their neck, and maybe find their brother? Ash quickly met up with two others, two mages called Astas and Iryienn. Together they did some freelance odd jobs and mercenary work as they made their way towards Monacoil. When Ash met them, they were not entirely honest about their name. Their full surname is in fact ‘Batesman’, but ‘Bates’ was all that came out when they introduced themselves.

Along the way Ash gained a pet rat they named Sting, a mysterious egg they found in an abandoned Trader’s caravan, kept tucked under their armour until it hatched into a red winged snake they named Nar. They also unlocked their magic unexpectedly, with some help of a benevolent Fae who took the form of a black rabbit with green eyes. They’re not sure what their focus is yet, but they seem to lean to nature based and healing magic.

While travelling with Astas and Iryienn, they ended up involved with helping Astas’s boyfriend, a man named Turo who’d been mixed up with the Enemy’s forces and they had to go rescue him.

At the moment Ash is in the Forest District in Monacoil, training to be a Ranger in the Forester’s Guild. While they are not apprenticing under the same person, they often wind up working with Lara Mason. They meet up with Astas and Iryienn regularly, and while they know Carson is in Monacoil, Ash still hasn’t worked up the nerve to go see him.

Ash is still technically missing, they haven’t told their family where they are yet.

DnD Stuff

Level 3 Fighter (Champion, Archery Fighting Style), Level 1 Druid (aiming for Circle of Dreams, very Fey and Healing based)

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 9

Prof- Animal Handling +4, Nature +3, Stealth +5, Survival +4

Other Notes

Terry

Terry is now a puppet, after running away from the Guard to do some soul searching from learning that his father is not his bio father. Bad luck buddy. Not exactly how it went down in the DnD world, but that never came up and still definitely spoilery, so just in case we ever pick it up again, Terry’s story is staying quiet. I also don't know a lot of it, that's in the hands of the DM, should we ever start it up again. So some assumptions have been made for the Watch.

Mother

Given the family name of Batesman, it makes sense for them to have hailed from Haneul, and I would say that Ash’s mother’s family did. She also is missing part of her arm from the elbow down, which she uses as her shield arm. I just image her shield has a custom backing where she can tie her arm on and there’s a fake arm or something so the shield holds the position it should.

Sting

Sting in the og campaign is in fact an imp, who mostly takes the form of a crow for Ash, but they met while he was in the form of a rat. While imps are typically familiars, Sting is not Ash’s familiar. Due to a very enthusiastic paladin (guest PC) Sting’s original warlock was smote with extreme prejudice, and Ash adopted Sting.

In the Watch, Sting is a normal rat that Ash befriended.

Nar

Nar is a winged snake based on a Thai Bamboo rat snake. In the campaign Ash found Nar’s egg in a stolen merchant’s caravan, and I never actually hatched him while the campaign was still going.

In the Watch, Nar’s egg was from Vaqone, which is home to gliding and winged snakes. How did it get to Duilintinn? I assume some Trader thought it was cool, and unfertilised.

—

Some songs I associate with them

Little Pistols-Mother Mother

Two Birds-Regina Spektor (this is mostly an Ash and Terry song)

This’ll Be the Day-RWBY

On another note @fairyofsomething drew Ash for me (they played Astas), and when I met Fay last year, they gave me the original copy. I’m basically saying that Fay is the best.

#Meet Your Watchers #House Marvin #submission #Ash Bates #Carson Bates #Terry Bates

3 notes · View notes

demonwield · 2 years

Text

Akame’s Age Canonically

SO before I make this post, I want to state that this is BY NO MEANS meant to be a vague call out post for the Follower who brought this up to me: I am actually more thankful to you for opening my eyes to HOW LACKING her wiki is on this info, and I simply wish to confirm everything that the Wikia does NOT do.

I am not mad for having to do this, I actually am VERY pleased to do this, because I want to bring to light everything missing. So let’s begin shall we?

Akame ga Kill! ZERO starts with Akame is EIGHT years old when she is first put into the concentration camp with Kurome, there was 100 kids, and the first SEVEN to make it to the end of their ‘murder’ course, were turned into the Elite Seven. Akame carried over an eighth member, HER SISTER, and that is when she was t urned into a member of the Elite Seven, separated from her sister because ‘their sisterly bond could be a problem in the future.’

The Elite Seven are then put through 5 - 6 years roughly of HELLISH training, and that is when Akame ga Kill! ZERO starts. Now, there is many timeskips of months, or years, throughout the 61 chapters, and the reason is because Akame goes through several different trainings, missions, captures, etc. Lots of traveling too in a world that DOESN’T have things like cars. So there is a SHIT ton of time skips.

The manga ENDS with her joining Night Raid, and being given her newest assignment after losing her sister worse to her drugs and their CONFLICT gets worse: which is the FAMILY that Night Raid murder in the first chapter.

In the Akame ga Kill manga, we are told that Akame is ‘in her late teens’, and it’s hinted she’s anywhere between 18 - 19, many times. And throughout the story, there’s a LOT of time, but we don’t know HOW MUCH necessarily. But, let’s just say, as a rough estimation, it was less than a year. And we will LOWBALL her age to 18 just to lowball it. As this is where it DOES get shaky as we don’t have an approximate more than ‘late teens’.

The end of the war comes, she separates from HER NATION, and she heads to Wakoku. That is a few months of a journey, so she’s now closer to 19.

The first YEAR we get in Hinowa ga CRUSH is in chapter 7 after she bests Yomihime and Hinowa’s Squad drives back the Tenrou Nation from Shiranui Fortress: the year is Year 222 in the Houjyu Period. So, to just low ball her age, I will say she is 18 in Year 222 of the Houjyu Period.

So that is the Chapter 7, then we fast forward, there’s a couple timeskips, and Akame says goodbye to her new friends: she has chosen to Chase After Nahashu into the Heart of the Tenrou Nation, trying to get him to come to his senses, and we go back to just what Hinowa is doing, as Akame is just the side-character, she is NOT the protagonist. Hinowa builds up a kingdom to try and undermine the AUTHORITY of a tyrant of a king, and free his people, and we find out in one of the newest WARS: the year is now 226 of the Houjyu Period.

The manga so far has had a 4 year time lapse through the chapters.

So, just on what we have seen thus far, and like I said I will NARROW DOWN and LOWBALL her age: she is 22 years old. Now, that is if we went on some LOWBALLING, but if I recall right, Akame ga KILL was at least 1 - 3 years of a war, because there’s multiple conflicts, adventures, missions. The Resistance also has a LOT of time to arm themselves, as during the WAR at the VERY END, when the First Teigu is brought down, and HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of soldiers are killed as is: there is still ONE MILLION SOLDIERS that take Esdeath on, all at once.

The amount of time they would need to take to GATHER millions of soldiers? Would be more than just one year, especially with how many Generals fought and killed resistance fighters, how many Esdeath killed, the Wild Hunt, the Jaegers.

Hence why I have stated I would GATHER that her age is closer to 25 now. Not to mention, it’s clear as day when you look at Akame: she has MATURED heavily. As down below, we have her facing off against Wild Hunt, and then her fighting Yomihime: the age is clear to tell she has grown up quite a bit.

Argument can be made that ‘the art style just got better’, but no, she is older. That is why, this is a PSA: AKAME IS NOT A CHILD OR EVEN A TEENAGER UNLESS YOU INTERACT IN THE NIGHT RAID TIMELINE. I DO play her closer to 25 years old, as I feel AGK should t ake between 1 - 3 or even 1 - 5 years. I personally feel it’d take 2 - 5 years. But, that’s my thoughts, and once more, I’m lowballing it for an idea.

This has been a rundown of the Assassin’s age, and her current canon, and I hope you all enjoyed~

#Every Assassin Stands By A Code || Night Raid Too Has Their Own They Abide (PSA)#The Era Of The Empire Draws To A Close || The Very Existence Of Night Raid But Tales Now - Nothing More (Headcanons)#Hinowa ga CRUSH spoilers #This is very important and I need everyone to understand #cause I do not mind correcting or #informing people cause I get she's very #obscure and unknown for the most part #and thank you for who pointed out the lacking info #on the wikia cause this was perfect to explain

6 notes · View notes

notebook-13 · 4 years

Text

BNHA History

Alright! I decided to assemble what we’ve been told about how society has changed since the advent of quirks. So here’s a rough timeline + my speculation.

Distant Past

≈200 years ago

The birth of a glowing baby signaled the beginning of superpowers. Considering the tremendous chaos that followed, I think it’s likely that the onset was fairly rapid—the glowing baby was the first of a lot of people all at once born with superpowers (or, it was the first baby born with a noticeable superpower). Crime skyrocketed, the law became meaningless, humanity came apart at the seams.

Why there was such an explosion of crime and chaos hasn’t been directly addressed; presumably it’s because early metas were violently shunned as nonhuman, and because new powers entailed the opportunity to use them.

Under these conditions, All for One rose to prominence. He used his meta power to win slavish loyalty, granting powers to those who desired them and removing them from metas who rejected them. His manipulation of his devotees was so great that he didn’t need to give them orders: they anticipated his will and acted on it. He didn’t tolerate dissent and crushed those who defied him. (ch193)

AfO’s period of de facto rule is not included in history books (he persists as a myth), so it’s unlikely that he occupied an official, publicly recognized position. But his rule apparently stretches from approximately the advent of quirks till the battle of Kamino Ward. (ch59)

However, AfO’s younger brother opposed him. AfO punished him by forcing on him a “useless” power-stocking ability. This power fused with the brother’s latent ability to transfer his ability, and the brother was able to pass it on. Over the next two centuries, the OfA holders continued to pass it on, largely to whoever happened to be nearby when they were dying instead of to selected proteges. (ch59, 257)

Relatively soon after the advent of superpowers, the police foreswore using them as weapons in order to keep the trust of the public. Vigilantes emerged to fulfill this role, attempting to mete out justice, and at some point the government authorized certain people (heroes) to use their powers offensively to enforce the law. Heroes were heavily criticized at first, but they eventually developed public support thanks to their strict adherence to the law (according to police chief Tsuragamae). (ch56)

According to the bnha spinoff Vigilantes, the government classified vigilantes into heroes or villains based on public opinion of them. (ch13)

MLA Era

How long ago was the Meta Liberation Army active?

Ch232: Redestro weakly implies that Destro was born before the beginning of heroes as a profession. This early date would also coincide with writing legislation to authorize heroes to use their powers to apprehend any other meta who used their ability.

Ch238: the MLA was in hiding for generations, plural.

Ch223: Redestro states the MLA has trained for “many generations”

So…somewhere between seventy years ago and more than a hundred years ago?

Regardless of the exact dates, Destro was born into a borderline period when there was intense prejudice against metas and official effort to coexist peacefully. When his mother defended him by claiming his power was a mere “quirk,” she was killed by a mob.

Sometime later, when the government drafted legislation to (supposedly?) promote peaceful coexistence, they recalled her idea of “quirk” and tried to use it as part of their reform. Destro, now an adult, opposed this and their reform, asserting that this was not the world his mother envisioned when she’d said “quirk.” (ch232)

He rallied metas to his cause, to bar any restriction of meta ability use, and the MLA fought the government for several years before defeat. It dissolved, many of its members in jail, including Destro himself. He penned his autobiography and then killed himself. (ch218)

Post-MLA, Pre-Symbol of Peace

Unknown number of years ago

Villain: “Seems like no one’s willing to break the law nowadays. All this whining about not selling out their friends. It’s a real pain. […] Man, I miss the days before All Might came along… I was young, and this country was a way more impulsive place.” (ch57)

Yagi: “I believed that this country needed a symbol so I started dashing headlong towards that goal. A shining light…hope. A wake-up call for everyone. As I ran, I swore I’d become that sort of man. People always had these worried looks. All the heroes in the world couldn’t slow the rising crime rates. Much more than now…they were truly scared.” (ch165)

This was an apparently cutthroat, impulsive period where efforts to curb chaos continued but found limited success. Crime was on the rise, something Yagi attributed to the idea that there wasn’t anyone (a “pillar”) for people to rely on. (ch93)

≈70 years ago

When Ujiko proposed his “paranormal singularity theory,” he was roundly rejected and mocked. Due to his own struggles with housing multiple quirks, AfO recognized how prescient Ujiko’s warning was, and he reached out to recruit Ujiko. (ch270)

(Note: Ujiko’s use of “paranormal” could mean he proposed his theory before “quirk” became the standard term, meaning “quirk” could be a rather recent change of language.)

≈35 years ago

AfO killed Nana. All Might was eighteen; he subsequently went to America to complete his training.

Symbol of Peace Era

≈30 years ago – Battle of Kamino Ward

Deku: “Ever since he appeared on the hero scene, his strength has won him undisputed popularity. Every year that he’s been active has seen a marked decrease in the appearance rate of villains. His existence alone is a deterrent to villainy.” (ch2)

Gran Torino: “[Stain’s] ideals and opinions…they’re gonna get out there. On the net. In papers and magazines. On TV. This age we live in, for better or worse, is one of suppression. But mark my words—people are gonna be influenced by this.” (ch57)

Shigaraki: “It’s not crazy to imagine that someone could commit an atrocity at any given moment. So why do they smile and mingle like this? Because the laws and rules are built on their individual morality, they’re convinced that ‘No one would ever do that.’” (ch69)

Shigaraki: “The reason these fools can smile and live their lives is cuz All Might’s always got that grin on his face. Smiling wide, as if to say there’s no one he can’t save!!” (ch69)

Deku: “All Might. Was there ever a time you really couldn’t save someone…?” Yagi: “…? … Sure. Plenty of times. Right now, somewhere out in the world, someone could be hurting or dying. It sucks, but I’m only human. I can’t save people who are out of my reach… That’s why I stand tall and smile. I’m the Symbol of Justice. The citizens…heroes…villains…I need to light the way for all of them.” (ch70)

Kid: “Nowadays people expect different things from heroes than they used to. It’s all about the entertainment factor and approval ratings.” (ch144)

Shigaraki: “You heroes pretend to be society’s guardians. For generations, you pretended not to see those you couldn’t protect and swept their pain under the rug. It’s tainted everything you’ve built. That means your system’s all rotten from the inside with maggots crawling out. It all builds up, little by little, over time. You’ve got the common trash, all too dependent on being protected. And the brave guardians who created the trash that need coddling. […] I don’t care if you don’t understand. That’s what makes us heroes and villains.” (ch281)

After about two centuries of chaos, Japan achieved stability after All Might established himself as the Symbol of Peace. All Might was specifically noted to have demolished most organized crime, so that villain teams were relatively rare (ch83, 115, 125). As Shigaraki put it, now people could go about their lives confident of their safety because All Might convinced them that everything will be alright, a hero will take care of them. This was true to the extent that people would flock to the sites of hero/villain battles to take photos and videos.

Whereas, as Twice put it, if you were on the wrong side of the law, then All Might’s catchphrase “I’m here” was a curse, something to fear and loathe. Gran Torino characterized this era as an age of suppression, as in, the symptoms were suppressed, producing superficial stability, but the underlying conditions hadn’t changed.

During this period, the industry of heroism shifted to over-emphasize heroism as public entertainment, rewarding attention-grabbing stunts and PR skills over humbler virtues.

This shift inspired Stain the Hero Killer to enact a purge of unworthy heroes in order to revive true heroism. He deeply impressed society, and, despite his murders, he became a popular figure. His ideals provoked some people to question whether society’s heroes were “true heroes,” while others disregarded his ideals and simply found him cool.

During this era, 80% of the population had a quirk. Whether that statistic was stable or if it was an effect of demographics (ie, most quirkless people are elderly and almost all kids have quirks) hasn’t been specified.

This era could be separated into All Might’s Bronze, Silver, and Golden Ages, each with a different costume.

≈30 years ago

All Might debuted in Japan, and he kicked off an unprecedented era of stability.

5 years ago

All Might fought and “killed” AfO.

Age of Endeavor

Battle of Kamino Ward – Present (ch283)

HPSC: “All Might had it all…power with enough charm to win the people over. The gulf between him and the perennial runner-up was always huge… I doubt we’re gonna find someone that charismatic again anytime soon.” Mera: While we’re waiting for the next All Might, hero squads with a focus on team unity are gonna have to fill the gap. This order from up high is meant to make some headway on that front… (ch111)

Miyagi (newscaster): “If we’re being honest, I think All Might just got too big for our own good. So big that we lost sight of things. […] As for us, we shouldn’t just passively protect the status quo. Isn’t it our duty to bring back a culture of excitement around heroes?” (ch115)

Kid: “We know what’s up. Mom and dad and the TV all ask the same thing. ‘Are the heroes doing okay?’ …We know. We’re better than them!” (ch165)

Hawks: “That guy earlier, screaming ‘Long live metahuman liberation’…this [rumors of nomu sightings] is kinda like that. They republished some old-school criminal’s autobiography, and it’s flying off the shelves. I’m thinking that’s influencing people. That stuff tends to sell best when society’s feeling unstable, right?” (ch186)

Gentle: “What counts as a spectacle is a question for the current generation. We shall go to the source [UA]—the source that enchants our society.” (ch171)

Newscaster (surveying the stampede of fleeing civilians during Endeavor’s nomu battle): “This is society without a Symbol of Peace!!” Can’tcha See-kun: “Stop saying that crap already!! Open your eyes before spouting off on TV! Especially at a time like this! Look! Those flames’re still rising up! You see ’em, right?! Endeavor’s alive and fighting!! So don’t give up just cuz the other guy’s gone! There’s still a dude out there risking it all for us!! Can’tcha see?!” (ch189)

Kuraishisu (newscaster): “In the past, a situation like this [the destruction of Deika City], where heroes were forced to make a difficult call, would have earned those same heroes criticism, but I suspect we may be witnessing a critical turning point in this era. A large-scale shift in opinion from criticism to passionate support.” Uraraka: “Feels like everything’s different ever since the ‘Can’tcha See kid’ did his thing.” Ashido: “It’s all cuz Endeavor kicked butt!” Mt. Lady: “Y’think the future’s bright? Not so fast!! It might seem like the winds of good fortune are blowing our way, but if you stop and think about the flip side of all this…it’s actually coming from a sense of urgency—it’s a response to danger! These cheers for the conquering heroes are really prayers—a plea that we emerge victorious! They’ve had enough of the showbiz side of heroism and want us to prove our worth for real now!” (ch241)

Mineta: “Not too long ago, she didn’t give a crap about anything except being on camera…” Aizawa: “Mt. Lady’s not the only one who has changed. Every hero out there is being pulled up by the number one’s rising ride.” (ch241)

After All Might retired, uncertainty gripped Japan as people wondered what would happen now. A strong consensus agreed that Endeavor wasn’t suited to fill All Might’s boots, something reflected in how the crime rate went up 3% in the month after Kamino, and reflected in how people suddenly became interested in reading the MLA ideology of rejecting heroes and protecting themselves.

During Endeavor’s battle against the nomu, the press attributed the public’s frantic stampede—ignoring heroes trying to guide evacuation—to the public’s lack of trust in Endeavor (and heroes generally) now that All Might was gone. Public trust improved after the nomu battle, especially thanks to Can’tcha See-kun.

Within a month after the battle, expectations shifted. People had enough of showbiz heroism and wanted the heroes to walk the talk and protect the public against villains, to the extent that comfortable armchair criticism was replaced a passionate support driven by fear of villains.

Miscellaneous Questions

When did “hero” become a recognized profession?

When did the hero ranking system begin?

When did the celebrity culture around heroes develop?

When did “quirk” come into common use?

How old is Yagi? How long ago did he debut in Japan and begin the era of peace?

How old is AfO? How long after the advent of quirks did he come to power?

When did AfO recruit Machia?

When were the nomu invented?

When did humanity pass the point of quirk singularity? (ch193)

#bnha #reference #worldbuilding #bnha meta #bnha manga spoilers

185 notes · View notes