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forever-fixating · 5 months ago

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RWRB Appreciation Month Bingo: Platonic Dynamic

For @rwrbsource and @rwrbmovie's RWRB Appreciation Month Bingo: Platonic Dynamic

Platonic Dynamic: Henry and Pez

Author's Note: Henry and Pez have such an interesting friendship in the book, and I'm so sad we didn't get to see more of it in the movie. (Mayhaps something to elaborate on in the sequel?) I wanted to write this little moment because I believe that Pez was a major support for Henry when grappling with the aftermath of Arthur's death. Shoutout to Pez, you are a real one, darling! This bit is quite angsty, so maybe have a hanky handy?

Pez Okonjo considered himself to be a fairly emotionally intelligent person for his age. His parents raised him to always extend grace and understanding to people because he could never know what they might be going through. But, as he stood outside his dorm room, listening to his best friend struggle not to break down over the phone, he couldn't muster a single mite of grace or understanding for one Catherine Fox Mountchristen-Windsor.

"A-are you sure she isn't available?" Henry was saying. "I-It's just...things are really hard for me right now, and I wanted to-"

Henry's voice fell silent, no doubt listening to the laundry list of excuses and platitudes Catherine's equerries had on hand ever since Arthur's death. Pez tried to be understanding. Really, he did. He had no idea what it must be like to lose the love of one's life. But, in the past few months, especially after the nightclub incident with Bea, Pez had a front-row seat to what it was like to lose a parent.

Or two, Pez thought bitterly.

He listened to Henry mumble something. I swear to God Almighty, if he is fucking apologizing, Pez fumed silently. But anger wasn't what Henry needed at that moment. So, after a minute or two, he knocked on the door cheerfully and breezed in, saying, "So, I know you wanted falafel tonight, but our favorite stand closed early. I got us Indian instead. There's a few different options for you to choose from, plus leftovers for tomorrow!"

Pez pretended not to notice his friend's redden, glassy eyes or the quick swipes he made over his cheeks. Ever since Arthur, it was a delicate tightrope act of knowing when to push and when to let things be. Tonight was the latter.

Henry looked at the bulging bag of food Pez set down on the end of his bed and asked, "Wh-what happened with Cassandra? I thought you two had a date tonight."

Pez sighed, shucking off his jacket. "Can you believe she had the nerve, the gall, nay! The temerity to cancel on me? She said she had food poisoning or some such tosh, but then tell me why I saw her out with her girlfriends at the pub? Women, beautiful, beguiling creatures, though they may be, can be so fickle."

Henry managed a laugh, a small victory in Pez's eyes. "Oh crumbs, Pez. You haven't had much luck lately. That's what? The sixth cancellation in so many weeks?"

"Yes, you needn't rub in it, Haz!"

Of course, it was a lie. In truth, Pez did the canceling, as he had with most of the others who asked him out recently. The ladies were disappointed (because how could they not be?) but understood when Pez explained why. Part of him figured Henry knew the stories were a scam. But Pez couldn't fathom the idea of partying when his best mate was alone with his dark thoughts.

Pez sat down next to Henry, who asked, "Would you like to watch more Doctor Who?"

"Yes, please!" Pez said, digging into the bag and arranging the takeaway containers like a mini-buffet. "I believe we left off right before Ms. Donna Noble was set to make her debut?"

Henry nodded, his spirits lifting. "She's absolutely brilliant, I'm certain you'll love her. I love the dynamic she has with Ten. Oy, Space Man!"

Pez laughed and took a bite of a samosa while Henry queued up the episode on his laptop. As the opening credits played, Henry laid his head on Pez's shoulder.

"Thank you."

Pez rested his cheeks on limp, blonde hair. "You're welcome, Haz."

A/N— Sorry, not sorry, but if the fandom is going to rake Ellen over the coals for her shortcomings with Alex, there needs to be a lot more discussion about Catherine. True, she lost her husband, but Phillip, Bea, and Henry lost their father. She should have been there for them. Comment below with your thoughts! I promise the next ficlet will be decidedly less angsty.

Check out this post and join the fun in celebrating the one-year anniversary of our little romcom that could being released!

#rwrbmonth #red white and royal blue #firstprince #henry fox mountchristen windsor #pez okonjo #alex claremont diaz #rwrb #rwrb movie

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cipheramnesia · 2 years ago

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hello i am giving u an excuse to talk about the chucky TV series because i generally don't like horror but i watched it and it was great

My friend... this goes so much deeper than the TV series.

DATELINE 1988! The horror movie slasher genre is THRIVING in the boom of video and cheap rental stores. Jason. Freddy. Michael. Already household names, nay! Heroes! Enter one Don Mancini, young and queer and ready to share some fear with a little idea knocking around in his head about a killer doll. With little more than a dream and few friends he tackled the enormous task of crafting the next horror legend. On the advice of a lawyer friend, he loaded Chucky up with distinct, trademarked features and made sure copyright on the titular killer doll was his and HIS ALONE.

Child's Play, the original Chucky movie, debuted to instant classic status. To modern eyes it may seem strange that a concept as silly as a killer doll could ascend to the heights of the holy triumvirate, but SIMULTANEOUS to Chucky we found such properties as Cabbage Patch Kids and My Buddy dolls - a virtual BUFFET of saccharine toys just begging for a counterpart with edge, and Chucky edged hard. The My Buddy doll never recovered as millions of children globally cowered from the mere TRAILER of Chucky and his slimeball snarl voice broadcast it's way to hearts and minds. But this wasn't all, no, for you see Chucky had a most peculiar gift, the gift of a soulful heart.

While many other slasher movies focused on a test of wills between survivor girl and unstoppable monster, Child's Play was first and foremost the coming of age story for Andy Barclay and his, Karen. In particular credit must be given to actor Catherine Hicks who never wanted to be in a horror movie, and made the conscious decision to play Karen as a straight dramatic role about a single mother and her son. In a sea of peculiarly good choices, it perhaps was hers more than any other that granted Child's Play a quasi-Spielberg-esque movie magic to transcend the genre stereotypes and absurd premise, to create something unique.

While she would not return for Child's Play 2, the die was cast with Alex Vincent as Andy and Brad Dourif as Chucky. We saw the introduction of street smart older stepsister played by Christine Elise. With a bigger budget, nastier deaths, and a truly grotesque version of Chucky, Child's Play 2 is likely considered the best in the series, as it predates the series' later campiness and had the delightfully rubbery 80s practical effects. Not me though, I love them all except of course Child's Play 3, the military academy one, which rounds out the first arc of Chucky. For a little while.

In 1998, just in time for a ten year anniversary, Chucky would RISE AGAIN, in Bride of Chucky. You see, while Don Mancini no longer had the rights to the Child's Play name, he still owned Chucky. Would this new chapter in the knife wielding minimaniac mean the previous continuity was dispensed with? NO, for this series was and still is violent killer baby of ONE MAN and his found film family. Instead, Bride of Chucky would introduce a new member of the family, Tiffany Valentine, played by the inimitable Jennifer Tilly. In this chapter of Chucky's tale, he and Tiffany took center stage, with no consistent protagonist, and a greater focus on absurd humor. Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky are both movies which give the sense of perhaps Mancini himself being more comfortable with his sexuality, more open and free. It was also the turning point where Chucky would go from a by the numbers slasher to a metatexual interrogation of the horror genre itself.

Besides playing with self referential comedy and genre references, Don Mancini introduced an in-universe awareness of Chucky's prior crimes, both as a human and as a doll, including the set of an in-universe movie (Chucky Goes Psycho) starring actress Jennifer Tilly. Hang onto your butts, because we're going in hot. If Bride of Chucky felt like it was going to weird places by having two dolls fucking and working on their romantic matters, Seed of Chucky abandoned all pretense, enjoying the presence of stuntcasting like John Waters and Redman (as himself) in roles specifically for gruesome deaths. But Jennifer Tilly was the central meta tornado.

Try and follow this. Real actress Jennifer Tilly plays Tiffany Valentine, who gets her soul transferred into a doll which is also voiced by Jennifer Tilly. Subsequently Jennifer Tilly also plays fictional actress Jennifer Tilly (who is otherwise identical to real world Jennifer Tilly), cast to play Tiffany Valentine in fictional fictionalized account of the fictional world real events of Child's Play 1 & 2, and also to voice the fictional Tiffany Valentine doll along with fictional Brad Dourif voicing the fictional Chucky doll, both dolls created for the fictional movie Chucky gets lucky. However, the fictional dolls get possessed by the real fictional characters Chucky and Tiffany, still voiced by real actors Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly. Eventually, Tiffany is able to transfer her soul into fictional Jennifer Tilly.

So, hang with me, in Chucky this means that fictional actress Jennifer Tilly (played by real Jennifer Tilly) is now possessed by fictional real murderer Tiffany Valentine (played by real Jennifer Tilly) who has to pretend to be fictional actress Jennifer Tilly (as played by Jennifer Tilly).

Beyond all this fuckery, Chucky and Tiff must cope with their new child who vacillates between Glen or Glenda, a kind of bigender or genderfluid character at a time when those ideas weren't very widespread, but which feels deeply informed both my Mancini's experience as a gay man, and also the long history of queers in Hollywood. At the conclusion of these two movies, it seemed like we were done with Chucky, with Tiffany living happily ever after as Tillyception and Glen/Glenda now living as two children, having their soul split into the twins fictional Tilly was pregnant with.

However, it seems that these five movies total instead were a kind of foundation for the next generation, when Chucky returned in Curse of Chucky and Cult of Chucky. Together these movies added a new layer of recursion, and might be called the Nica Pierce chapter. Both films featured less camp, and a more serious tone which, initially seemed to imply an intent to reboot the series. This was, of course, a fake out as Mancini not only revealed the new movies as a direct continuation, but also gave Chucky an illegitimate human daughter in the form of Nica Pierce, played by Fiona Dourif, the real world daughter of Brad Dourif. Not only that, but we would get the reintroduction of a long absent character, Andy Barclay, still played by Alex Vincent.

In the reprisal, Alex Vincent, an actor who was damaged and traumatized by being a child actor in movies like the original Child's Play, plays Andy as an adult damaged and traumatized by his experiences as a child in the original Child's Play.

Now, eventually Chucky gets control of Nica and Fiona Dourif does drag to play young Chucky and there's fucked up lesbians and gay kissing and a priest explodes, but all that happens in the TV series. What I'm really needing everyone to get at here is that from 1988 up to RIGHT NOW Don Mancini has kept continuity of plot AND ACTORS, with two seasons and an upcoming third which incorporates every single movie detail. A series which, while silly at times, always both respects its audience second, but FIRST is itself above all. Every single movie and episode has been something which set out to be its own thing, free from control or demands of conformity and it always has been, like it or not, love it or leave it. Somehow the killer doll movie has turned into a 35 year long and counting love affair, a found extended nuclear family both on screen and off.

And perhaps the best part is how much the queerness has been given a chance to flourish, going from a whisper of an influence in early films, to campy comedy later, to fully realized queer relationships in the series. Not only that, but it's always seemed to treat its atypical protagonists with a humanity and respect few other media properties manage. The young Andy works so well because he's an actual character, not just some kid, treated like a capable and thinking human. Tiff and Glen/Glenda are bizarre but never dehumanized, never treated as undeserving of human kindness. And Nica, a paraplegic, is amazing, with her disabilities informing the plot, but not innately treated as some definitive limit or inspiration porn. It's rare for so many disenfranchised characters to get such a human treatment, and frankly bizarre that the murder doll series is the one to do it. But that's kind of the real beauty of Chucky. Every character is human first, before anything else.

In fact, there is only one character who is genuinely human second, and it's Chucky himself. Now I'm not saying there's no room for complex antagonists, but in all Chucy movies, the one constant is this: Chucky is a total dick. Not evil, not a menace, just a pure all out asshole. Chucky is a piece of shit person first, murderer second, and that's GREAT. You will never be in a position where you hope the evil murder doll succeeds (Tiff excepted). You will never stop and wonder "Gosh maybe Chucky is secretly a good guy deep down." Chucky is always a gaslighting selfish prick who wants to live for ever and kill everyone, full stop. It's beautiful, it frees the mind to dwell on the humanity of other characters because you never once are getting asked to give the lying cheating manipulative little fucker the benefit of the doubt.

I don't know what it is, but Mancini just gets it. He gets the best and the worst of people and that's what makes this whole machine tick. It's huge and overwhelming to think of how many people and plotlines and stories are encompassed by Chucky and then like a falling air-conditioner it just slams into my head: "Oh yeah, this is about a killer doll."

#childs play #chucky #horror movies #queer horror #long post

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bethanydelleman · 1 year ago

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Northanger Abbey Readthrough Ch 13

Isabella's true character is revealed Catherine, "Isabella appeared to her ungenerous and selfish, regardless of everything but her own gratification." and James Morland, smitten with Isabella, has his worst moment:

“I did not think you had been so obstinate, Catherine,” said James; “you were not used to be so hard to persuade; you once were the kindest, best-tempered of my sisters.”

And then when Isabella and John Thorpe PHYSICALLY HOLD CATHERINE IN PLACE, James continues to do... nothing. He only finally tells John to stop after Catherine breaks away herself.

#downwithJamesMorland

It's unfortunate because James Morland is one of the few unmarried Austen men by the end of his novel and you'd like to use him for fan fiction but his sister defence score is so low... (nothing is sexier than a man who treats his sister right!) James ends up reminding me a lot of Edmund Bertram. There is nothing wrong with having a crush on a girl, but you should not be willing to sacrifice your principles for her!

Catherine stands resolute. Her big defining moment of moral backbone is resisting peer pressure, which might not seem like much but it's hard! Especially with the opposition of her older brother. And I want to point out, it's not just to avoid another horrible carriage ride with Thorpe, she does offer to go with them the next day. As she contemplates herself, it was not only for her own pleasure that she refused, she believed herself in the right not to lie.

I love this quote:

If I could not be persuaded into doing what I thought wrong, I never will be tricked into it.

Also Jane Austen playing cheeky with our imaginations:

“She is as obstinate as—” Thorpe never finished the simile, for it could hardly have been a proper one.

My mind automatically goes to "ass" (donkey) by the way.

This type of sentence, that immediately contradicts itself, is used a lot in Jane Austen's juvenilia:

Her explanation, defective only in being—from her irritation of nerves and shortness of breath—no explanation at all, was instantly given.

Here is an example from Frederic & Elfrida:

They were exceedingly handsome and so much alike, that it was not every one who knew them apart. Nay, even their most intimate freinds had nothing to distinguish them by, but the shape of the face, the colour of the Eye, the length of the Nose, & the difference of the complexion.

We also have our first hint here of the General's true character:

To such anxious attention was the General’s civility carried, that not aware of her extraordinary swiftness in entering the house, he was quite angry with the servant whose neglect had reduced her to open the door of the apartment herself. “What did William mean by it? He should make a point of inquiring into the matter.” And if Catherine had not most warmly asserted his innocence, it seemed likely that William would lose the favour of his master forever, if not his place, by her rapidity.

He definitely has a temper and very exacting standards, for both his staff and his children. However, he is very polite with Catherine, which makes her think favourably of Thorpe, "made her think with pleasure that he might be sometimes depended on." If only she knew!

Catherine then learns that Mr. Allen doesn't think that the trip would have been entirely prudent, Mrs. Allen agrees but only from a fashion perspective. Catherine is mortified to learn she has done something wrong, but Mrs. Allen doesn't seem very concerned:

Young people will be young people, as your good mother says herself. You know I wanted you, when we first came, not to buy that sprigged muslin, but you would. Young people do not like to be always thwarted.

This is actually a pretty wise statement, though I'm not sure Mrs. Allen has really been doing her job as a chaperone properly. It also speaks to those grey lines around propriety. We don't see women in Jane Austen's novels ruined by a single act of impropriety in the way that contemporary Historical fiction/romance is always imagining. It is usually a pattern of behaviour. And people clearly understand that young adults/teenagers will be a bit wild at times, because you know, people are people and have always been people.

Now we get to one of Catherine's flaws (which will come up again) she doesn't understand when her actions will be taken as officious or meddling. Her desire to warn Isabella comes from a good place, but as Mr. Allen points out, it's only going to make people dislike her. Elizabeth Bennet has a much more delicate and prudent approach when it comes to Lydia going to Brighton, even though that doesn't end up changing the result. She knows that direct opposition to the scheme would only make her younger sister hate her, which would solve nothing and only create more problems. As Mr. Allen points out, if Mrs. Thorpe is allowing it, let it go.

#james morland #down with James morland #northanger abbey readthrough #northanger abbey #catherine morland #john thorpe #the BIG MOMENT

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isadomna · 8 months ago

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Eleanor of Austria, Anne de Pisseleu and Charles V

In 1538 Eleanor of Austria and her brother Charles V saw each other for the first time in eight years. During the meeting in Aigues-Mortes, Eleanor played a prominent role, arriving with “an infinite number of ladies”, including the Dauphin’s wife, Catherine de Medici, Francis I’s daughter, Marguerite of France, and Margaret of Navarre’s daughter, Jeanne d’Albret. To Eleanor, this was the moment she revelled in because, for the first time since becoming Queen of France, she managed to foster peace between her brother and husband.

Amidst general rejoicing, Eleanor confessed to Charles how matters really stood between her husband and Madame d’Etampes. “She said how much humiliated and annoyed she was” by Francis’s extramarital affair but begged her brother “to go and pay his court to the said lady in so signal a manner that all should see and notice it”. It must have been humiliating for Eleanor to implore Charles to pay respects to the woman whose sole presence diminished her own position at court, but it shows that Eleanor was far more intelligent and politically savvy than she is given credit for. Madame d’Etampes wielded an extraordinary influence over Francis I, who could refuse her nothing. One word from the formidable duchess could make or unmake any alliance, and Eleanor knew it. Charles V did as he was told and, “with cap in hand went forward and embraced and kissed the lady most affectionately, waiting upon her all the time the collation lasted and saying many sweet things to her, as for instance that he wished very much to become the object of her affections, and to surpass even King Francis in his devotion and attentions.” Madame d’Etampes saw it as her unqualified success; Queen Eleanor saw it as a necessary evil.

But when Charles V was passing through France in late 1539, he failed to make much of the French King’s mistress, incurring her wrath. It was reported that after the Emperor’s visit, Anne de Pisseleu nurtured “angry feelings” towards him. If the Emperor thought that he could get away with ignoring Francis I’s mistress, he was wrong. The imperial ambassador at the French court, Jean de Saint-Mauris, reported that her heart was hardened against him “in such a way that it will be very difficult, nay, almost impossible, to appease her”.

Eleanor dreamed about a firm peace treaty between her brother and husband for years. In 1544, yet again, she was instrumental in attaining it. She left France to meet with her brother and cement peace in the autumn of that year, taking Francis I’s younger son Charles, Duke of Orléans, with her. She was also accompanied by Anne de Pisseleu, travelling together in one litter. The reason Madame d’Etampes was invited in the first place was because Queen Eleanor realized that Madame’s approval of the course of foreign policy was essential in bringing peace between her brother and husband to fruition. This time, the Emperor made much of Anne de Pisseleu, presenting her with a jewel worth 6,000 crowns, half the value of the one he gave his sister the Queen. Eleanor had learned to accept Anne’s presence in her life. It was not always easy. In 1541, for instance, three of Eleanor’s Spanish ladies-in-waiting were banished from court “for speaking ill of Madame d’Etampes”, which means that they must have followed the Queen’s example.

Source:

Sylvia Barbara Soberton, Golden Age Ladies: Women Who Shaped the Courts of Henry VIII and Francis I

#eleanor of austria #anne de pisseleu d'heilly #charles V #madame d'etampes #french history #francis I #anne de pisseleu

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thedisabilitybookarchive · 1 month ago

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Update: October 2024

Added:

"Cats" to "Themes & Tropes"

"Adventure" category and genre option

Entries:

'The Real Boy'- Ursu, Anne

'The Reformed Vampire Support Group'- Jinks, Catherine

Fixed:

Updated categories on: -"Obsidio" -"My Aunt is A Monster" -"The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue" -"Gemina" -"The You Kind of Kind" -"The Storm Runner" -"The Lightning Thief" -"Nimona" -"Grandmother-nai-Leylit's Cloth of Winds" -"Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star" -"Black Bird, Blue Road"

Aesthetic:

Other:

Implemented a queue system. Posts will run on a delay. They will be posted to the website first, then the blog a few days later.

Update logs to be posted at the end of every month; individual logs to continue for some minor/archivist updates

#the disability book archive #archive update #update log #october update

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dailyanarchistposts · 6 months ago

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Detroiters Join the Small Farmer’s Movement

The significance of this growing urban ag movement should be clear to readers of Small Farmer’s Journal. The movement is awakening ever-wider circles of urban residents to the importance of eating healthy, local-grown produce. Every new urban farmer becomes a small-farming educator and advocate for his or her neighbors. That translates into many new customers for the nearby rural farmers selling at Detroit’s farmers’ markets.

But far more important will be the political support that the urban farming movement can give to rural small farmers. Those 70 new families raising chickens here this year will be 70 households who will need to quickly learn about the NAIS, about the groundswell of small farmers fighting it, and about why they need to join in taking a stand against the NAIS themselves. And those 70 families, as participants in the Garden Resource Program, will be connecting with hundreds of other farmers here. Combine that with the broad network of friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc., that each farmer knows and influences and it can easily turn into thousands of new supporters for the rights of small farmers—thousands of new families who will want to break the grip of Big Ag on their wallets and their lives.

Sometime this spring, on Detroit’s lower east side, Paul Weertz and his neighbors will once again be cutting, raking, and baling hay on the vacant city blocks nearby. Most of that hay will go to feed livestock at the Catherine Ferguson Academy Farm; some will be sold. But some will get used for the Halloween hayrides that Paul gives to inner-city kids, many of whom have never seen a tractor before. And that will add joy to a lot of lives, and more new friends for the small farmers movement—urban and rural!

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bookaddict24-7 · 5 months ago

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REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Every week I will post various reviews I've written so far in 2024. You can check out my Goodreads for more up-to-date reviews HERE.

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223. The Departure by K.A. Applegate--⭐️⭐️

The MC of this book being the only Black character in this series is both inspiring (especially because of when these books were first published), and a little sad because she's the most frustrating.

It is pretty well-known that Applegate's series is anti-war, which is great in itself, especially when considering that these are kids with some pretty great moral mentalities. But this MC is, in my opinion, the most self-aware character of the group. I think this because she is the one who is always reminding everyone that there are solutions that don't involve killing or hurting others. These are VERY important messages for readers--no matter the generation. My biggest complaint with this, however, is that sometimes all the moral questions and nay-saying can be over-the-top.

Which leads me to some of the questionable choices made in this book. Whenever a book is in this MC's POV, things can get either a bit frustrating, or just plain annoying. I'm sure many love her and the way she is, but I wish I could just fully explore why she does the things she does.

I just wish I could enjoy her POV more.

___

224. All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm torn on ALL THE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD. On one hand, it had some seriously gorgeous moments (see, favourite quote from the book: Daughters who looked like their mothers' pasts, and fathers who look like their sons' futures." UGH this quote. I am in AWE.) But it also had moments where I seriously questioned why I continued reading.

I had this discussion with a coworker recently (the one who mentioned the book to me, actually) about how it wasn't at all what she was expecting. While I didn't have the same expectations as her, I DID have something else in mind. I didn't expect the essays to be a little heavier on the historical aspect of things and less about the stories of every day security work. All of the people watching could have and should have led to some more exciting or intriguing essays.

What I WILL say, however, is that Bringley explored the difficult journey of grief beautifully. I teared up a few times, especially when he was detailing his brother's last moments before his death. The emotion surrounding Bringley's grief was palpable. I could feel that pain jumping from the page.

While I wished I DNF'ed it various times, something about ALL THE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD kept me reading. Maybe it was that underlying sense of grief I could feel from the beginning, or the fact that some of the writing was admittedly beautiful. I just wish it was more engaging. Most of the essays dragged and I'd catch my attention slipping away.

If you like history thrown into your essays and a wonderfully heartbreaking exploration of growth and grief, then I think you'll like this one.

___

225. Behind You by Catherine Hernandez--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Catherine Hernandez never misses.

I've read most of Hernandez's books (I think I still have just one left) and I'm not being facetious when I say that all have been mind-blowing reads. Every single one of her books has left me with heavy thoughts and a new perspective on society and the way I interact with it.

BEHIND YOU explores what it means to be not just a girl in society, but a foreign girl in society. The sexualizing of young non-white girls by adult men (who feel like they're owed something from said girls), and the bullying those same girls get from classmates who don't look like them. Adding in that this mostly takes place in Scarborough was an extra touch because of the diversity there.

There are some seriously creepy moments in this book that help exemplify what it means to exist in a young girl's body; what it looks like to not be believed when you mention a situation to someone you hope would be on your side. All with the extra terrifying mystery of a serial rapist/murderer, who I immediately connected to the Barbie & Ken murders.

Taking place both in the late 80s-early 90s, and in present-day Ontario, Hernandez's novel was also an ode to young girls who are just trying to find themselves in a world that is determined to keep them down. From a very verbally and at-times physically abusive household (that I presume heavily discriminated against the MC because of colourism), to a present where the adult MC is spiralling into a dark hell of trauma, triggered by a re-exploration of the case that haunted her childhood, Hernandez gives us an incredibly fleshed out story that refuses to miss out any details.

The parallels between the MC's past experiences, and the present struggle she encounters with her own son, wife, and still abusive family, and the past that still haunts her were incredible--especially when we see certain interactions between the MC and her wife regarding their son's behaviour.

Hernandez doesn't hold back any punches and I think anyone who can handle those punches should pick this book up. It's important, poignant, jarring, and just an absolutely incredible piece of Canadian literature.

___

226. Clueless Puckboy by Saxon James & Eden Finley--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Probably my least favourite one of the series, tbh. But still cute!

I think the main reason why I wasn't as big a fan of this one was because of the miscommunication trope, which I never thought I'd see in this series.

But other than that, this was still as fun as the other books--especially watching the one MC win over the other. The whole "forbidden" aspect of their romance was one of the things that made this one so much fun.

I did feel bad for the hockey MC because of how insecure he was about his career, even though he is a professional hockey player. His character growth was nice to watch because he was probably one of the tamer players of the whole series. He wasn't cocky or someone who flaunted his good looks, he was just a nervous ball of insecurity. Also, I'm so glad he got his story--I'd been waiting for it since we were introduced to him in book one.

I won't lie, of all the books in the series, this one took me the longest to remember what it was about. My non-five star rating for this one makes a lot of sense now.

___

227. The Dixon Rule by Elle Kennedy--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was not expecting to cry as much as I did. Thanks Elle Kennedy.

I was excited to pick up THE DIXON RULE because I LOVED the previous one in this sequel series. I love how spicy these books get, but I especially love the emotional connection between the characters. And while this book definitely had that enemies to friends to lovers aspect that I love and that spicy tension between the two MCs, I found this one a LITTLE hard to fall for.

Book one had this great enemies aspect that had me rooting for both characters, but it took me a while to fall for the FMC. She was such a bitch to the MMC from the get-go. Like, I get that he was a hoe, but she just immediately thought the worst of him? To the point where it verged on bullying, especially with some of the antics regarding the other people who lived in their condominium. The important thing is that they finally communicated and a lot more made sense for the two of them.

THE DIXON RULE also explored some more darker aspects tentatively introduced in book one. Super trigger warning for stalking and physical abuse. Those scenes were hard to read, I can't even imagine someone who could be triggered by it. I don't think I've read a Kennedy book that had the very dark side of romance (and not in that "sexy dark romance" way.)

Also, bring tissues, because damn. This book.

By the end, I was a fan of these two characters together--especially because of how they took care of each other, how they showed each other love, and just how much understanding there was between the two of them.

I'm wary of the third book, but it has already been ordered LOL.

___

228. Bromantic Puck Boy by Saxon James & Eden Finley--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pleaseeeee. This was so much fun and so cute. Watching these two idiots figure themselves out was adorable af.

When I saw who this book was going to be about, I giggled so hard--especially because of how the one MC talked about the second MC in the last book. I knew it was coming, but I was still thoroughly entertained.

I know a lot of people didn't like how this one wasn't as outright romantic as the other books in the series, but I actually really liked this one because it was so different. I also liked how these two became inseparable best friends first before they fell into this messy friends-with-benefits situation.

In fact, while yes the spice was spicy, it was their relationship that really drew me in. The way the one character hated others using the same nickname his love interest called him, or how they did the most extreme or silliest things for each other. I loved it all. I literally read a story about two best friends falling in love when they didn't even realize they were doing exactly that.

I also really appreciated the topic of parents who may or may not be accepting, because it showed us (the readers) how that anxiety can grow so much to the point where you either ignore who you are or you pretend you're not the way you are, which can be extremely painful. It was a very vulnerable moment.

And BROMANTIC PUCKBOY also reminded me that I need to read FRAT WARS by Saxon James since a bunch of characters are mentioned in this one!

___

229. The Jock by Tal Bauer--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tal Bauer is an incredible author. He somehow always captures the deep romance of a story and then manages to rip your heart out of your chest.

I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical of THE JOCK at first because of that prologue. I think this book didn't need it and if anything, it made me almost not want to pick it up. But I'm grateful that I pushed through it because this love story was incredible.

The heartbreak in this is palpable and the way the characters live through made me want to sob. The selflessness of the one MC was incredible, but the understanding of the other was inspiring. Another thing that I love about Bauer's writing is how he can create these characters who jump of the pages to profess their love for one another. He's just so...romantic? It's incredible.

I appreciated, too, how the football MC was being realistic about his future and what he wanted. He was always questioning everything and trying to find a way to attain that future he wanted so badly. Although, I think that coach needs to kick a few rocks for putting that pressure on him.

The other MC has his own complex circumstances with family and his heartbreak, but the way he was there for the man he loves? Incredible. He was also great because he knew what he wanted for his future and he also fought for it. I liked that these two characters didn't fall completely into each other to the point where they lost sight of who they were (this is why I keep mentioning this aspect of the story).

There were some pretty heavy things that happen in this book, some triggering, and some anger-inducing. But THE JOCK is definitely a must-read for anyone who is just a huge romantic and a fan of sports romances!

___

230. Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan--⭐️⭐️.5

I don't know what I was expecting from VERONA COMICS, but it wasn't this. I think this is my first Jennifer Dugan book and I've always been curious about her stuff, especially because she always has such great covers.

I originally wanted to read this book because of the Bi rep, so that part was cool. I understood the MC's internal questioning regarding her identity and how she's dated only guys, even though she has had crushes on other girls. What I didn't understand was the Bi-phobia coming from her Lesbian best friend and how it wasn't really explored or commented on? In fact, her best friend being not the greatest friend in general was never really addressed.

While VERONA COMICS had the important topic of co-dependent relationships and the dangers of said relationships, I also think that it is a dangerous topic to not handle with care. Especially when young readers pick these books up. The way the relationship is treated at the end of the book is slightly troubling for me. It's good to get the mental health care needed, but that whole "let's give this a happy ending" aspect of it weirded me out.

There are also a plethora of other topics that were thrown at the reader that at times felt overwhelming and heartbreaking: emotional and verbal parental abuse, suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety. This book was DARK and you know, this is fine. There are some seriously dark YA novels out there. My issue with this, though, is that this novel does not give any hint that this is one of those books that take you on a very serious mental health ride down a dark pit.

I kept reading because I couldn't look away, but the book now sits on my unhaul book stack. I can understand what the book was trying to say, but it was A LOT.

I didn't give this lower because even though the darkness of the story was overwhelming, there were moments of brightness and some cute moments between the characters. Also, half a star for the one friend who didn't try to manage the FMC's life. I get that the one friend was protective because of the FMC's shitty treatment of her friends when in a relationship, but her attitude was so bad that I will admit I thought she had a thing for the FMC.

I just wish this was just the cute book the cover hinted at, but knowing that this is a Romeo & Juliet adaptation should have hinted at how dark this was gonna get.

___

231. This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ah, I finally understand the hype for Carley Fortune.

When I read the first book by this author, I was underwhelmed. Not only did it have a really shitty twist, it felt like three different books that were already written made into one. Needless to say, I wasn't super impressed.

But THIS SUMMER WILL BE DIFFERENT? Yes, please. This was such a great and emotionally fuelled read. I could feel the tension between the MC and the love interest; I could feel the history between them. I wanted them together, but I knew they both had some serious hurdles to get over.

I actually enjoyed the back and forth of the past and present because it helped me further understand these two characters and why they are the way they are, especially when they're interacting with one another.

I think I was expecting something cheesy, or a really horrible twist, but what I got was actually a fantastic summer read that makes me really want to visit PEI.

After reading this book, I was curious about others' thoughts. I read one of my friend's reviews and she mentioned the weirdness of friendships and how extreme they can be and I have to say that I agree. Half of the tension in this book wouldn't be so...tense if the best friend didn't set such a rule from the first summer that the MC meets her love interest. It was a great point and now I'm sure I'll be thinking about it with every romance book I read. The friendship in this book is sudden and intense, but I won't fault it because it gave us this love story.

Loved the ending, loved the obsession with flowers, loved the missed opportunities and surprisingly spicy bits--I just loved how this felt like such a call to summer (which I know sounds weird, but it's how it felt).

Also, I'm a fan of the MC's character growth and her figuring out that in an attempt to find herself, she should probably stop being a workaholic and worrying what her parents think of her career choices.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book. It was fun, sexy, and incredibly addicting.

___

Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts?

___

Happy reading!

#Features #Reviews of the Week #Book Reviews #book review #book reviewer #my opinion #my writing #book list #long text post #book blog #book blogger #readers of tumblr #booklr #bookworm #book addict #reviews #on books #on reading #honest opinions

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cuprohastes · 2 years ago

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When computers wore skirts

So almost everyone's heard the amazing tid-bit of delicious history that the woman who programmed the Apollo something or other was also making a Jack Black.

And that it was a black woman who was so good at transcribing data that she used to correct the sloppy programming of NASA so accurately that Astronauts would double check with her before committing to action.

And that Admiral Grace hopper, age 56 was hammering out COBOL and putting moths into the logbook.

And you may even recall that Hedy Lamar showed up in the US and patented Radio Frequency hopping which is what Mobile phones use

Or that Pulsars were discovered, nay predicted then discovered by a woman who's name is sadly lost to time... ha ha, joking it was Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who is very much now credited with the work much to the annoyance of the guy who stole her work and got a Nobel.

But did you know it was a woman who invented the Dish-Washer because she wanted a way to wash plates that would protect them from being dropped? Say thanks to Josephine Garis Cochran should her spectral form float through your room tonight.

And should you want to read about young wizards facing off against evil, Oh boy, Diane Duane's like RIGHT BEHIND YOU!

Or maybe you'd like some Trek? Well Dorothy Catherine Fontana wrote half your favourite TOS episodes as DC Fontana, so high five!

And any true Dr Who fan knows that Verity Lambert just pulled the entire franchise out of the vortex, despite the efforts of the men who hadn't the vision for it.

Anyway, what I'm saying is we live in a world that's made by women who did fantastic fabulous things and I'm truly grateful they did.

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tapnhan · 8 months ago

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FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA - SARAH ROSE

Lâu lâu mới lại trồi lên. Cuốn này kể chuyện lịch sử mấy thế kỷ trước, thời mà người ta còn đi lại bằng thuyền buồm, Anh & Trung Hoa vẫn còn là đế quốc ngồi gây nghiện cho nhau bên thì thông qua nha phiến bên thì qua … trà. Trà lần đầu được giới thiệu ở Anh quốc vào những năm 1600 như là 1 phần của hồi môn của công chúa Bồ Đào Nha, Catherine của Braganza khi cô được gả cho vua Charles II. Được xem như 1 loại xa xỉ phẩm nhập khẩu từ Viễn Đông xa xôi uống vào vừa để thể hiện đẳng cấp mà lại còn vừa miệng ở cái thời tiết vừa lạnh vừa mưa suốt ngày tại Anh nên là càng ngày trà càng được phổ biến rộng rãi. Trà lại vừa nhẹ vừa bảo quản được lâu, rất phù hợp với việc di chuyển hàng tháng trời trên hải trình nên càng được nhà buôn tích cực thúc đẩy tiêu thụ. Dân tình ham uống trà vô độ, đến giữa thế kỷ 18 lượng tiêu thụ trà tại Anh còn nhiều hơn cả bia. Tương truyền cứ 1/10 bảng chính quyền thu được là đến từ riêng thuế nhập khẩu và bán trà không là đủ biết người Anh thời đó đưa trà lên hàng thức uống quốc dân như nào rồi.

Trong khi đó Trung Quốc thời đó vốn là xã hội nông nghiệp tự túc nên là ko có nhu cầu với hàng hoá của châu Âu, bán gì dân Tàu cũng ko chuộng. Công ty Đông Ấn thời ấy đang được hưởng vị thế độc quyền trên đường giao thương Trung-Anh vò đầu bứt tai mãi ko biết buôn gì để lấy tiền mua trà thoả mãn cơn khát tại nhà. May cái lúc ấy mới giành được quyền kiểm soát Ấn Độ, kế thừa lại ngay ngành công nghiệp thuốc phiện từ Đế chế Mughal đang suy tàn, nhanh trí tuồn lậu mặt hàng này sang TQ bán ngay đặng lấy bạc cân bằng lại cán cân thương mại. Mấy trăm năm trời buôn bán đang ngon trớn đếm tiền mỏi tay tự nhiên đến ngày triều Thanh thấy dân tình nghiệp ngập dữ quá cả ngày suốt ngày bay lak, quốc kế dân sinh khó khăn nên là mạnh tay hẳn trong việc cấm hút chích, ngăn chận việc nhập lậu thuốc phiện từ nước ngoài.

Anh Quốc lúc ấy mới tả hoả là thâm hụt nguồn thu thế này thì tiền đâu mà mua trà bây giờ. Nên là một mặt kéo ngay hạm đội Hải quân hùng hậu sang “ngoại giao” pháo hạm, oánh cho quân TQ chạy tụt quần. Triều Thanh thua cuộc buộc phải ký Hiệp ước Nam Kinh nhượng tại Hồng Kong cho người Anh toàn quyền sử dụng cũng như cho phép các thương nhân nước ngoài được quyền giao thương và cư trú từ 1 cảng duy nhất trước giờ ở Quảng Châu lên 5 cảng mậu dịch mới để tha hồ buôn bán. Bên cạnh đó chính phủ Anh cũng lên kế hoạch tự trồng và sản xuất trà để ko bị phụ thuộc vào nguồn hàng trà đến từ TQ nữa. Vốn thấy rặng Himalaya ở Ấn Độ cho có núi cao án ngữ, đất đai thì màu mỡ trưa có sương, sáng sớm còn có giá vừa có thể cung cấp nước cũng như bảo vệ cây chè khỏi nắng gắt mặt trời vừa giúp làm ngọt lá trà làm hương vị đậm đà tinh tế hơn. Tựu chung thời tiết rất giống với những vùng trồng trà nổi tiếng của TQ.

Trước đó Anh cũng đã thử nghiệm tự trồng trà ở đất Ấn rồi với lá trà bản địa ở tỉnh Assam. Vị trà Assam chát, uống ko thanh, ko thể sử dụng mà sản xuất ra mặt hàng chất lượng cao được (ngay cả hiện tại trà Assam cũng ko được xem là dòng trà cao cấp mà thường chủ yếu dùng để pha ra các loại blend khác). Mặc dù giống trà được trồng thử nghiệm số lượng nhỏ ở Himalaya trước đó cũng là giống trà được nhập chính từ nguồn TQ nhưng do chỉ được nhập trộm từ cảng Quảng Đông nơi duy nhất người Anh được phép lai vãng trước chiến tranh nha phiến lần thứ 1 nên chất lượng ko được tốt. Vậy nên là cần phải có giống tốt nhất cũng như phương thức sản xuất chuẩn chỉnh cũng kinh nghiệm đến từ chính người TQ. Mà những cái này trước giờ Trung Quốc giữ như giữ của chắc chắn ko thể nào lấy được từ con đường ngoại giao bình thường được. Thôi hỏi ko nói thì ta tự đi … chôm. Công ty Đông Ấn đã tiến hành phái cử Robert Fortune - thợ săn cây kiêm nhà thực vật học người Scotland thực hiện nhiệm vụ thời nay có thể xem như là 1 loại gián điệp kinh tế thâm nhập vào sâu bên trong nội địa TQ, tới những khu vực trồng trà nổi tiếng vốn vẫn bị cấm chỉ với người nước ngoài và mang về giống trà xanh tốt nhất cũng như phương thức sản xuất bí truyền để về tự thử nghiệm lại tại Ấn Độ.

Cuốn này hơn 300 trang non-fiction nhưng do được cô nhà báo tổng hợp viết lại nên rất là bánh cuốn. Đọc hiểu được nỗi khổ của cái thời đi phượt mà ko biết tiếng, hiểm hoạ vây quanh từ bệnh tật đến cướp biển, sơn tặc, đến thuê nhân viên làm phiên dịch kiêm bảo kê mà còn bị tụi phản chủ này nó lừa rồi có lúc bị bỏ rơi thiếu tý nữa là ko còn mạng trở về. Để kiếm được cây giống trà xanh và trà đen (TQ gọi là hồng trà) cũng như giải được những câu đố về việc sản xuất trà trước giờ vẫn được giới trí thức phương Tây thần thoại hoá (vì TQ đóng cửa mà có biết thông tin gì đâu. Noại giao xin xỏ uy hiếp bao nhiêu năm trời TQ nhất quyết ko chịu share trà thế sản xuất như nào, được trồng ở đâu. Tên gì mà toàn Long Đỉnh, Bích La Xuân, Thiết Quan Âm … chả hiểu liên quan gì đến nhau)

Thực ra 2 loại này đều từ 1 loại cây nhưng chỉ có cách chế biến khác nhau thôi.) thì Fortune đi lần lượt tới khu trồng trà xanh ở Chiết Giang, An Huy sau đó đi về mạn núi Vũ Di, Phúc Kiến. Việc đi về vùng trà xanh thì dễ dàng hơn chỉ cần xuôi dòng Dương Tử là có thể đến được. Riêng trà đen là loại được chuộng ở Anh quốc hơn thì do loại này chủ yếu trồng sâu trong núi, tít bên trong nội địa vốn là khu vực người nước ngoài trước giờ bị cấm cửa. Từ Thượng Hải để đến được biên giới giữa tỉnh Phúc Kiến và tỉnh Giang Tây gần được khu vực này cũng phải đi đường bộ mất 3 tháng vô cùng gian khổ. Cũng may là mấy tộc Trung Quốc mạn phương Bắc có những người có nét rất Tây, Fortune cạo đầu để đuôi sam rồi bận đồ Trung Quốc vào mặc dù cũng có nổi bật hơn bình thường nhưng vẫn xem như trà trộn được nên là công tác này mặc dù có nhiều khó khăn nhưng SPOILER (thực ra ai cũng biết: )) đã thành công vận chuyển một lượng lớn hạt giống trà cũng như các thiết bị vật tư cần thiết được sử dụng tại các xưởng của TQ. Việc trồng thử nghiệm ở Ấn Độ và sau này ở khác thuộc địa trồng trà khác như Sri Lanka …đã thành công rực rỡ.

Do trà được trồng tại các khu thuộc địa này được điều chỉnh để phù hợp với khẩu vị phương Tây hơn (hồi trước lúc chưa trồng được ng Anh chỉ mua được trà hạng thấp từ TQ thôi, song song với việc ngành công nghiệp làm được ở thuộc địa châu Mỹ phát triển nên trà Anh chuộng bỏ đường để uống nên sẽ sử dụng những loại trà có vị chát hơn) nên riêng về mảng trà đen thì sau này được đánh giá là vượt hẳn trà Tàu về mặt chất lượng, số lượng cũng như giá cả. Trong khi đó ở TQ trà là uống trơn ko ko bỏ đường hay pha lẫn bất cứ thứ gì nhưng vẫn vô cùng ngọt và thơm, đặc biệt là trà xanh, trà hoa TQ vẫn là ở một đẳng cấp riêng khó nơi nào có thể sánh bằng.

Nói đúng chủ đề yêu thích nên hơi dài nhưng lâu rồi mới đọc được quyển lôi cuốn và đọc trôi như vậy nên đặc biệt với những bạn nào mê trà nói chung rất recommend cuốn này.

#review sach #tea

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duckprintspress · 1 year ago

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“Aim For The Heart” Creator Spotlight: Author Catherine E. Green and Artist Cris Alborja

There’s only a few days left in the campaign to crowdfund Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers” – gosh, I can’t believe it’s almost over already. Here’s our last two-fer creator spotlight! 😀

Want to get a copy? Make sure you back before the campaign ends at 10 AM Eastern on July 15th, 2023!

Start your engines by Cris Alborja

About the Artist: I’m an illustration and comic artist from Spain. I’ve got a nursing degree, but I decided to pursue my passion. I have studied Illustration at EASD Pablo Picasso in A Coruña and comics at O Garaxe Hermético in Pontevedra. I have done cover art for an anthology called Infiniteca by Retranca Editorial and comics for Altar Mutante, Nai dos Desterrados, and Abraxas en Cuarentena fanzines, as well as in Gaspariño 21 by Retranca Editorial.

Link: Instagram

The Serendipity of a Late Train by Catherine E. Green

About the Author: Catherine E. Green (pronouns: xe/xem/xyr or they/them/their) is an agender person, one who’s had an on-again, off-again love affair with writing. Xe began writing when xe was a wee thing, when xyr other major pastimes were playing xyr mother’s NES and roughhousing with the boys next door. It’s only in the past few years that they have begun writing consistently and publishing their writing, fanfiction and original writing alike, leading to their first published short story titled “Of Loops and Weaves.”

Outside of writing, xe is a collector of books and sleep debt and an avid admirer of the cosmos. Playing video games, reading a variety of fiction genres (primarily fantasy, queer romance, and manga and graphic novels of all kinds), and working on wrangling their own personal data archiving projects occupy most of their free time. Xe has also started meeting up with a local fiber arts group and is excited to be crocheting xyr first scarf.

Story Teaser:

Oh, no. This is not happening.

Athos picks up the threads of Porthos’ insults. “One has to wonder if this is the same girl who gave me lip for interrupting her, frankly, dangerous stunts? Weaving sloppily through bunches of brand-new skaters, nearly bowling into several of them, and then acting like it was no big deal?”

“Excuse me?” Lottie replies, sharp and in disbelief.

Aramis starts in, “Or the girl who arrives late to tryouts—”

“It’s not my fault the train out of Gascony was late!”

“—and then proceeds to make a huge commotion thereafter. No doubt, a calm, polite conversation with our NSOs would have sufficed,” Aramis finishes, nonplussed.

“Don’t forget: this is the girl who insulted my plumage!” Porthos cries, gripping said rainbow-colored plumage to her chest.

Lottie raises an eyebrow. “Excuse me for mentioning it was a tripping hazard.”

“Like you’re one one to talk, girlie!”

#duck prints press #kickstarter #aim for the heart #catherine e. green #cris alborja

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fideidefenswhore · 2 years ago

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8, 6 & 22 ;*

common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about (8)

hmmm, AB as heartless and/or 'petty' (she could be petty, tbf), and/or her ruthless acts deriving from 'pettiness', specifically. if anything, too much heart, if such a thing were possible. she might well have threatened cromwell even before that sermon (as, according to chapuys, she did), but in all likelihood this was to prevent 'strong thieves of the realm' from being the primary beneficiaries/ enjoying the windfall of the reformation. most (not all) of her ruthlessness was tied up/from heart&soul, not 'pettiness'. even her least-sympathized, least-excusable ruthlessness, towards catherine and mary, can, as elizabeth norton argues, be attributed to/as an extenstion of/ the protection of her daughter.

also, the tudors (showtime) in general. people seem to have either had a collective eternal-sunshine moment or they watched some version of the show not available to the general public (coa never acknowledged henry's interest in anne? the more you know.)

and becoming elizabeth, lol, 'abuse of thomas seymour aside' when that was almost the entire show. you cannot 'set it aside'.

which ship fans are the most annoying? (6)

mary/chapuys. like the petyr/sansa of the tudor fandom, except at least petyr/sansa enjoyers acknowledge the ship is dark, rather than the achingly tooth-rotting fluff they put out.

also the historic aspect just seems very...wishful-thinking, i guess? chapuys as the white knight, protector, when all chapuys really was, in the end, was someone that gave her false hope and promises/ed (escape, reinstatement) what was ultimately not within his power, and/or diplomatic skill/pull, to grant. she does seem to have really relied on him 1533-36 but shortly thereafter she didn't speak with him much anymore, which is always a choice that is attributed to henry to infantilize her (she can never make an independent choice, it must always come from fear, this woman that was by all accounts, quite brave and didn't suffer fools) and conveniently, as always, villainize her father, to never acknowledge the possibility she might simply have just been disappointed/become disillusioned with/by chapuys; or it's attributed to the exeter conspiracy, ignoring that mary distancing herself from chapuys happened beforehand.

according to his own account, his last conversation with mary was brief, she said what she was expected to say, typical of the by-the-book political niceties (thanked charles v for his good wishes towards her, said she had no power to repay charles v for the same—if not humble equivocation, this sounds more bitter and biting than affectionate—and would pray for her cousin's health and prosperity), and she excused herself early into their farewell by saying she didnt want to detain her fifth stepmother ("appeared unwilling to prolong the interview"). certainly nothing that suggets the wistfulness, nostalgia they feel was 'due', nor the fervent affection and gratitude they assume, nay, insist, was there, but denied, for mary as much in the 1540s as it was in the early to mid 1530s. all considered, mark this as a self-insert ship of sorts, an AU that is not acknowledged as AU.

your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores (22)

what is 'canon' in this context, lol.....

nothing is my 'favorite' but there are certainly commonly ignored home truths about this era:

either that there was never an english uprising against AB as consort (despite the constant dire predictions), but was for philip ii as consort, or that the house of commons took the oath of succession (1534) without dissent.

#anon #i do not find anything remotely sexy about the possibility of a middle-aged resident ambassador #creaming his pants over a teenage princess on the reg. like...#just. not for me #i don't care that much about dark ships in general so for me it's my bugbear #more for how narrowly it treats everything surrounding them #and dehumanizes anyone that did not kiss their rings #they're the shining lights in the dark; dark pits of english heresy #like if you REALLY vibe with that isn't that more like mary i/reginald pole?#pole/mary has what the mary/chapuys want. he even said a quote about her similar to that.#and then...yeah...#'never acknowledged his interest in anne' on the gifset feat the scene where she calls her a whore..........?#she confronts him about it multiple times. in the canon of the show. like?#and historically ik that does not gel with the image of coa as the endlessly eloquent never flustered and gracious silent sufferer. but #also ig i could have done any fandom. but. eh?#figured this was what was meant #in-theme

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