#It's because daughters as things have less value sometimes than sons as things

[bmoreisapunkrocktown]

Anyway, I'm bringing this back because there's a whole ass post going around about how to tackle the "eugenics abortion" issue that actually doesn't mention the well-being of these disabled children except as a throw away.

We must do away with the nuclear family and we must fundamentally change the societal view of having and raising children in order to come away from "eugenics abortion".

Changing or adjusting what society considers to be the "value" of a disabled child to make it higher and therefore more acceptable to have a disabled child 1) isn't actually about the child and 2) isn't addressing the fundamental issue that children are whole ass human beings and not couches.

Eugenics is explicitly tied to the view of children as "things" that someone owns and controls, and until we do away with that idea, we can never be truly free of eugenics.

And that sucks, but there are a lot of people who claim to be anti eugenics who still very rigidly hold on to the idea of the nuclear family and the "right" to have a child, and that is not and never will be an anti-eugenics opinion, nor will it ever lead to any better conditions for disabled children.

[jils-things]

irene + her family lore(?)

disclaimer: i am not good at history and i've tried to read up as much as i can towards the victorian era/queen victoria's reign and even read a research paper before i typed this out... i want to the story to be accurate to the irl situation back then but i want to put my own spin to align it to my ship so there's a little freedom to how i write this - and with freedom comes guaranteed inconsistencies with the irl facts of the old times. trust me i've thought this over and over and was honestly too scared to write it because i was nervous knowing there will be something incorrect but ahh fuck it it's my story frfr aha

irene constantine

i've said this so many times but for summarization's sake, i'll say everything again:

irene was born in a much lower-class family, not much is established on her old family but at one point, she was on her own in an orphanage as her parents sent her off in hopes to give her a better lifestyle, much better than what her real family had. irene still kept her name but her surname is understandably changed due to adoption. irene has lived in the orphanage for quite sometime, perhaps in her toddler years at best. she was very sweet and outspoken. she was raised well by her "siblings" and was taught to be very well-mannered even if she can be playful. the most important thing that irene remembered in her childhood was the value of being connected with everyone regardless of their status. of course, it's expected that many of the children there did not live the most fortunate lives, but they never discriminated anyone who could be much "fortunate" than the other because in the end, the bond they all share together is far more important and if they work together, they can achieve things even if it seemed impossible.

irene kept this philosophy to herself for the rest of her life, and especially when she would later be adopted by lady constantine, her new adoptive mother.

the constantines and her childhood

a lot of these paragraphs are still uncertain to me due to my lack of good understanding in economics and history so these could easily change if i find something more preferable

for now, i imagine the constantines to be a set of stable aristocrats who live, the family line has many relatives and is able to keep the family line sustainable - but one relative family stuck out like a sore thumb - which was the fact that lady constantine is unable to bear a child even if she wanted to. she simply wanted a child to love and care for - so she was willing to go far to adopt a child just to fulfill that desire. lord constantine didn't mind the adoption, but had hoped his wife would bring over a son, but had brought in a daughter instead. had she chosen a son, the son could continue to live the family line well even if the constantines were fine already. but since they brought in a daughter, they figured that marrying her off to a wealthy man was the better idea once she's gotten older.

the daughter they adopted just so happen to be little irene from the orphanage. she was just about 7 years old, give or take.

irene was happy to finally be in a family, but she wasn't aware of how high standard the upper-class could be. just a few years after being daughter, she would soon enough be forced into being taught how to be "prim and proper" which unfortunately contrasts her bubbly and earnest personality. this puts her in a spot of discomfort where she felt less like herself as the years go by. being told how to act this and that, and not to do this and that. it was all too overwhelming for her. she was happy to have a sense of belonging finally, but if its at the cost of removing what makes irene, herself - was it really worth it?

lord constantine was never too concerned about her feelings, perhaps he still carried the grudge knowing he could've had a son if he wanted to and he pushed his anger on her to be the perfect daughter. lady constantine however was a little different, the mother was easily the most caring if not irene's personal maid. she was simply, being a "mother". it was something she wanted to be after all after not being able to successfully bear one of her own. she wanted to give her all when irene came into her life and she knew every constant struggle irene went through. she understood her true colors and validated her struggles but because of the way they live, the mother tells her to trust the process and follow what her husband forces upon her. lady constantine would usually reward her daughter's efforts by letting her be out of the house when she asked for it. the mother and daughter would even do things together, like teaching arts and craft; embroidery, stitching, learning music. going outside was something that irene felt more close to, as it always reminded her what her past life was like in the orphanage. sometimes, and she would meet a sweet gardener named emma woo.ds who would become her kind friend later down the line.

lord constantine would be upset if he saw irene acting "improper" and always knew his wife was being too kind to her - he especially did not like it when irene goes out into the village to bond with everyone she sees - perhaps he didn't want her to be "tainted" and it made her less ... appealing to potential suitors. part of him was worried about this when she gotten older. at some point, the lord would hire a mercenary named nai.b sub.edar to watch out for her as her outdoor adventures would become far more ambitious and "dangerous" as he imagined. irene would be 16-20 at this point. the mercenary ensured that they would have a very strict relationship, but irene still found a way to really become good friends with him and would let her off the hook a few times if the lord ever asked about her. "she didn't walk out today, she is sleeping as we speak", nai.b would lie, knowing fully well that irene is wandering out again.

the arranged marriage

when she turned 18-22, lord constantine would introduce irene to a man who he said would be her future husband - which was something that irene had feared for when she gotten older. she always believed that marriage was a bond of love and not of social advantage, her immediate concern was not knowing anything about the gentleman and she wanted to refuse. the marriage between her and the stranger would also guarantee a better connection of wealth from both families - exactly something that the lord had planned. even if she wanted to say no, it was not possible anymore as it has been mapped out before she even consented. the father promises that it's for the better and she'll come to love the gentleman eventually. she now only had half a year or so before the day of her union with the stranger. lady constantine wished she had better control over this situation, but she couldn't do much for her since she previously had control on who she wanted to adopt years ago and she didn't let her husband intervene with the decision, and he insisted it was only fair he gets to control what happens to irene next.

even if this is how it is now, lady constantine still felt like this wasn't right. is wealth or family more important to her?

after irene's wedding announcement, she became more distant from the family, almost as a form of rebellion to tell that she didn't want to go along with this plan. lord constantine wasn't too worried about her disappearance, and told nai.b to follow her in secret.

[lore dump part 2 coming soon]

[fruit-salad-ship]

Do not get this twisted, i will never play and do not like League of Legends.

BUT.

HUGE BUT

Arcane is my fav show, and I dont know how i've not made an AU for it yet. So here we go!

Plums a daughter to a high powered Trencher, she has a good life, despite being part of the lanes. Her education is great, mind sharp, and tongue sharper. Hired hands keep her safe, not that she needs any help with that. She is known to most as someone you dont cross, her enemies do tend to dissapear without trace, that is unless she wants you to find bits of them. Her hatred to topside is minimal, she's been priviledged all things considered, but harbours a lot of spite within her tiny frame, and is a fantastic drivign force to others. Her compelling intelligent words can rally folks to fight for her cause, whatever it may be. Her friends are superficial, all quick to nod and agree with her, even if they dont actually like her ideas, and she's not stupid enough to miss that. Her company is bought, not true, and it irks her some days. All those close tend to keep her company for personla gain. For this reason she struggles to truly trust anyone. Weapons of choice: pistols, daggers. Category: precision, mid/close range, stealth.

Grey is a topsider but learnt to hate his own, seeing the injustices first hand due to his curious nature, he went to the lanes and found himself having more fun than he's ever had in his life. this however showed him a side to life he took for granted, he had a lot, and many had little. So every other night he sneaks out and dresses to blend in, skulks down into the trenches to party with more interesting, far more hard working folks. His deep pockets are spent helping people when he's not drinking it away, son of a writer, his penmanship gives away his heritage. He if offered a job scribing for a high powered family in the lanes, and is privvy to a lot of secrets and information he would otherwise not know. His family dont understand why he'd do that work, and distance themselevs from him for it, he however has found a new cause, a reason to try to better whatever he comes into contact with, one way or another. The people he's met are good, or at leaat, have every potential to be. Weapon of choice: Rifles, throwing knives. category: Technical, long range, deesculative. Peach is an apprentice to an old herbalist and doctor, one of the Lanes oldest providers of medicine, learning all there is to know about helping people who can pay. The new issues of Shimmer make work tough, and even her own life has danced with that demon once or twice, enough to understand what it does to someone. Her family sold her out as a worker, so she's been job hopping her whole life, dodging danger whenever possible, often being less lucky and finding herself in less than optimal situations. Because of this she's grown to be strong, physically and mentally, handling most issues with a cockiness that comes with the territory of being so big and so brutal. Free time is spent either drinking or fighting for extra cash, her friends are solid, connections loyal, and knowledge growing as she studies medicine more, learnign all she can from her boss. Sometimes she goes out to the moores to collect herbs, a moment of peace compared to the lanes. Weapon of choice: improvised, unarmed. Category: brute, close range, poisons and tonics.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Plums family is the one Grey works for, so those two see each other in passing, and his good nature is curious to the young woman, who's so use to dishonest and devious people in her life. Yet this man seems genuine and open hearted. He is a fool to her, but a fool she rather enjoys for his realistic approach to situations, not fogged by social status, personal opinion or potential gains to be had. He gives balanced judgement, something Plum values. Grey likes the young woman, she tried to spook him during their first interaction but failed due to his genuine lack of awarness on who she was, and the seemingly fun joke she played. He is almost painfully oblivious to just how dangerous she is, that is until he gets caught in the crossfire because of her dirty deals and underhanded tactics. Greys sudden injury leaves Plum with little choice, hobbling his huge form to the closest doctor she could recall.

Inside the cramped herbalists she demands someone help her friend, the first time she's used that word and meant it. The owner of the place was out but his apprentice was there, a tall intimidating looking woman who did not look at all medically skilled. Plum even questioned her abilities upon seeing her for the first time. Peach explains this care wouldnt be cheap, especially not for a topsider. Plum starts to haggle her down, thretening with her family name, something peach doesnt even care about. The price actually goes up with every mention of them. Peach wont touch him until the amount is agreed on, and Plums fuming she's being taken for such a ride. Grey however is bleeding out in a chair, both girl looking to him, one calm and collected, suggesting to hurry, as he didnt look too good. Through gritted teeth Plum agrees to the price, hands over too much coin, and watches this woman haul her injured friend into a back room. There she's able to patch him back up, it takes a while, Plum's sat in a chair amongst all these strange plants and potions, a few hours later turnign her head as Peach returns, bloodied, explaining that the patient would be fine with rest.

After that, Plum is mildly intrigued that a laner would be so bold with her, no one dares normally, but Peach didnt care, and actually, she did do a good job with Grey, he made a full recovery in no time. Its not that Peach didnt know who Plum was, of course she did, but when someone that powerful walks into your little shop? You take the opportunity to gain some extra cash. Grey returns to the doctors place of work to find the manager back, saying Peach had a day off. He wanted to thank her, so the man suggested he looked at a local bar she frequented if he's that bothered. If he doesnt need anything however, he should leave. Undeterred, Grey treks off to this place, its a seedy little joint with loud music and a notable shimmer presence around, but he can buy a drink and glance about the space, not seeing her. Its not until he notices several people going downstairs that he decides to follow. Beneath the bar is what looks like a makeshift boxing ring, people crowd and jeer, most drunk, some hosting bets, others smoking and laughing. And there she is, his doctor, the woman who saved his life, is mid fight in the centre of this space against someone twice her size, Peach looks bloodied, as does her opponent, both exchanging blows, each time with a loud cheer or boo, depending on who was on whos side. He watched her slip an uppercut through their defences and her foe falls, The woman bends over, spits out blood, a couple of laners at her side, one shaking her form with a smile, another handing her a beer. They all laugh as she catches her breath and stands up straight, looks like hell but grinning. She calls it, heading back upstairs with a little wobble in her step, shaking it off. Grey follows and waits until shes finished her drink, buying her a new one to approach with. She doesnt recall his name, surprised he's found her, refers to him by his injuries, hard to forget him, got a pretty penny for that job.

Their chat turns to laughs, to more drinks, to jokes, turns out the topsider is actually a bit more fun than Peach had first thought. kind of glad she didnt fuck up his medical procedures now. After adequate partying they stagger out, arms over shoulders trying to support each others forms from falling, gut laughing, peach pulls a smoke, offers one to grey who goes with it, joins in, coughs less than Peach expected, somewhat use to the nightlife in the lanes by now. She drags him towards her apartment, keys jingling as she gets the door. Inside is a small functional space, lived in, but she's not focused on that, no no, she's focused on getting this big rich kid out of his clothes. Grey doesnt argue, and the two spend the night doing anything but sleeping.

Plum of course worries when Grey doesnt turn up for work on time the next day. He's usually punctual, but by midday he's snuck in, back to work. He looks like shit, tired, groggy, a little deshevveled, when she gets close he smells like a bar, smiling to herself as she catches him off guard, the man jumps at her suden presence, relaxing once he sees its just Plum. She immediatly points out the state of him, to which he explains he went to go thank the Doctro who helped him, and things got...out of hand. He was pulled to one side and Plum demanded to know everything, fascinated with this situation. Who knew a topsider had it in him to charm a woman like that? She was impressed.

Eventually Plum finds an excuse to return to the herbalist, making sure to wait until the guy who owened the place went out, leaving Peach alone in the shop. Her apperance didnt surprise the larger woman who leant on the counter reading, only briefly glancing up at her before smirking and returning to her book, stating how it was only a matter of time Plum would crawl back to her, expert medical skills were hard to come by. A statement that immediatly threw plum, why did this one not fear her like the rest? Regardless, she came in for medicine which was true enough, complaining of headaches, awful ones. A little digging and Peach suggested its stress related, maybe she should try to relax a little between beating the shit out of people for looking at her the wrong way. Plum realised in that comment that Peach did know who she was, had done the whole time, just...didnt care? or chose to ignore it? Brave, or stupid, she was not sure.

Their thinnly veiled threats had some kind of flirty undertone, a dangerous dance between two equally dangerous people. Eventually Peach suggested that the little lane royal should come out for drinks, see if she's able to let go of her duties and pride and just be one of the normal trash folks for a night. Plum agreed, adamant it was to prove she was more than capabale of keeping up with her, and no other reason.

The girls turned up at the usual bar Peach frequented after her shift, Plum had met her outside the herbalists so they could walk over together, she wanted to dig for more on this woman, she was a nobody, reputation either very good or very bad, no inbetween at all, and their conversation yielded very little to expand on that. Drinks flow, the pair settle into a competetive state of existing, exchanging stories, trying to one up each other for the entire night be it at drinking, or playing cards, or trying to get bottlecaps in someones glass from 20ft across the room with a throw. Admittedly, Plum was actually feeling a lot less stressed out, maybe this big idiot was a better doctor than she'd first thought, a statement she said out loud. Peach laughed, corrected her that technically she was only a nurse right now. Plum had a moment, maybe it was the drink, maybe the sight of this jacked woman's arms while she shuffled a deck of cards to play another round, but the image of her in the nurses uniform you'd see people wearing at parties to try to be sexy wouldnt go away. It was both hilarious and unnerving, mainly because she didnt know she wanted it until her brain put it there. Maybe she could convince her to play that role someday.

A few more drinks and Plum was done, her small frame and lower tolerance made it clear she needed to go home. Peach threw her on her shoulder, pickpocketing her in the process to pay for the tab, pretending like it was her money to Plum who was none the wiser at this point. Getting her back to her place was difficult, for a little human she truly made life difficult, grabbing onto posts when she wanted to stop to look in a window of a shop or catch a cool view. After a while Peach became wise enough to avoid all grabbable things, but that just diverted Plums attention to her. The last street before home and Peach feels these little hands slip up under her shirt on her back, something that doesnt bother her, but she does question her company with a chuckle, the hands following lines of muscle. Plum shrugs, slurs out something about 'just lookin'. Peach has to fish around in the drunks pockets to find keys, trying two before the third works and the front door of this womans home opens. Its far nicer than where she lives, plush for a lanes home, tall ceilings and heavy silk drapes, furnitures in good condition, theres a distinctly cleaner quality of air in here.

Plum gets put in her bed, water on the side table, Peach is ready to leave but theres no way it'll be that easy. This wirey little monster she's helped is far more agile than she thought, and admittedly, Peach is also pretty drunk, capable sure but not at all her most alert. Before long the bigger womans stuck under the thighs of Plum who's just not letting her go. Their interactions are closer to a fight, any kind of collision with a woman like this is a dangerous choice, Peach isnt an idiot, this could be great, it could be terrible, theres no way to know the outcome...but she's only human, and the opportunity to sleep with someone like Plum is far too tempting. May as well go with it, whats the worst that could happen...right?

Well the outcome was great, for a while. Until it dawned on Peach that she was seeing a lot more of Plums goons coming to her place of work for medicine and care. The buisness was making good cash, and her name was alwasy the one asked for, a fact peach's boss couldnt overlook...now she owed Plum for this, she was the sort of woman who'd find a doctor in her pocket very useful too no doubt. Peach knew she was being used, it'd creep up and be clearer to see when Plum would ask for specific poisons, or about methods of removing things from people without killing them, at first harmless medical questions in passing but it was eventually clear she was using this information. Then a body turns up of someone high powered...

Things get dangerous when rich folk turn up poisoned. Then one day a topsider is found. wealthy guy who was killed with a familiar toxin, one peach knew all too well, a toxin that if someone wanted could be traced back to her shop, her work. She had to stop this, but it was too late. Plum had brought a lot of buisness and money her way, Peach owed her, a debt she was unable to repay without a miracle. Now under the thumb of a tiny tyrant, her services are bought out, becoming a doctor for Plum's family, providing carefully curated medication for all that aisles, partered with her old boss who was happy to see her bring such a high powered customer to his doors.

So Grey and Peach become lackeys, one happily, the other reluctantly. Their boss is harsh but fair with them, they get into all kinds of altercations, and while they love eachother, its sometimes very bitter sweet. Greys a smart, well spoken sweet guy but his lack of lanes knowledge gets him in trouble sometimes. Plums crazy sure but shes got a sweet side, and takes care of her own well. and Peach is a bruiser, who'll fly off the handle if pushed too hard, but my god do they need someone who knows medicine. Together they cause a lot of trouble.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Dark Shadows (2012)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

Dark Shadows shows promise at first, with tried-and-true but effective “fish out of water” humour. From there, the plot gets progressively unsure of where it wants to go, until it starts throwing stuff at the screen haphazardly. I don’t know if anyone could’ve salvaged a workable film from the woeful screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith but director Tim Burton doesn’t seem to be trying very hard.

In 1760, Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) breaks the heart of his servant, Angelique (Eva Green). After she uses dark magic to kill Barnabas' fiancée (Bella Heathcote) she transform him into a vampire - so that he will outlive anyone he ever loves. Soon after, he is captured by villagers and buried "alive" in a coffin. Escaping from his prison in 1972, Barnabas finds his descendants in financial ruin, his beloved reincarnated as their new nanny (Bella Heathcote as Victoria), and Angelique still alive and still obsessed with him.

After the fact, it’s obvious Barnabas is the film’s main character. While watching, it isn’t so clear. You think Victoria will be a major player but she’s an afterthought with no personality. Most of the character feel like director Tim Burton self-indulging a little by tossing a bone to his favourite performers (Christopher Lee has a minor role which can’t have taken more than a day to shoot) or like inclusions put there just because they had an equivalent in the original 1966 television series. The film lasts nearly two hours. If you cut out Helena Bonham Carter as the Collins family doctor who does very little doctoring, the kinda-sorta misfit son David (Gully McGrath), his ne’er-do-well father (Johnny Lee Miller), the rebellious teenage daughter (Chloë Grace Moretz), the elderly maid (Ray Shirley) and the drunken groundskeeper (Jackie Earle Haley), you probably wouldn’t have more than 40-minutes’ worth of a movie. That’s not much but it’d be tighter, focussed and more enjoyable. None of these people have anything to do, and the less said about Alice Cooper’s cameo as himself, the better.

It feels like a bad soap opera that’s being made-up on the spot. Stuff just happens and sure, sometimes it’s funny but nothing’s building up to anything bigger. Now Dr. Hoffman is seducing Barnabas. Ok? Why? So we can cement that everyone finds Johnny Depp in vampire makeup irresistible? I guess that’s a thing but I don’t really get it.

Then, finally, a facsimile of a plot rears its ugly head. Ah! So the film is about Angelique and Barnabas’ rivalry. Wait. She waited 200 years for him to escape from the box she buried him in and in the meantime, she’s been using her fishing business to drive the Collins out of house and home? What a lame way to use your magic powers. It all builds to a lacklustre conclusion in which people are thrown around by magic. I think we’re supposed to feel upset about doomed romances and people caught between two irreconcilable worlds but so little time has been spent fleshing out the mushy stuff you just don’t care.

As an 18th-century vampire struggling to keep up with “modern” technology and sensibilities, Johnny Depp does well. He delivers all of the film’s best moments and yeah, some of it you’ve seen before but it’s still effective. The costumes, sets and art direction are also quite good so visually, Dark Shadows is pleasant to look at - especially when Eva Green is seducing Barnabas. Just about everything else is cringe-inducing and tone-deaf. Sexy as she may look, Green is terrible in this role and I can’t even blame her. No one shines thanks to the weak screenplay and scatterbrained direction torn between drama, horror and comedy. I nearly completely forgot about Michelle Pfeiffer, which is too bad because her character actually contributes something of value to the story.

The first time I saw Dark Shadows, I didn’t love it but found things to enjoy and gave it a mildly positive review. Re-examining it now, 3 stars seems way too generous. Although never awful, Dark Shadows doesn't give you many reasons to watch it. (April 5, 2019)

[themovieblogonline]

Top Ten Movies To Binge On Father’s Day

Father’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate the first man you loved. So bag the weekend with both hands and treat the king of your life with a nice brunch and some (or maybe all) of these movies. Movies have a unique way of bringing people together, sparking conversations, and creating lasting memories. Here’s our list of top films to watch with your dad this Father’s Day. The Pursuit of Happyness Will Smith is coming in with all of the emotions in The Pursuit of Happyness. When Chris loses his job and marriage in the span of a few minutes, he’s left with interning at a brokerage firm, while juggling the sole custody of his son. The movie profoundly depicts the hardships of fatherhood and the unseen side of parenting. You'll be treating your dad extra special after watching this tear-jerker.  Father of the Bride Steve Martin shines as George Banks in Father of the Bride, a comedy that every father can relate to. George’s orderly life turns upside down when his daughter announces her engagement. His overprotective and sometimes hilarious reactions capture the bittersweet moments of letting go. Overprotective dads, this one's for you! Eighth Grade Kayla dreams of being a social butterfly, but it’s not easy, especially because she’s an introvert. Luckily, she has her camera and her internet alter ego to keep her going, right? Well, things are anything but simple in Eighth Grade. The beauty of this film lies in its successful attempt to capture parenthood as one of the most crucial phases of a child's life.  Finding Nemo A father’s determination isn’t something to mess with. That’s Marlin’s motto in Finding Nemo, as he embarks on an unforgettable journey to get his abducted son back home, from the Great Barrier Reef. A little superstitious but mostly loving dad will have your heart in no time. Finding Nemo takes you on a soulful journey where you truly learn the value of family and relationships.  Definitely, Maybe Ryan Reynolds and Abigail Breslin are redefining a father-daughter relationship in Definitely, Maybe. When a father is struck with a quarter-life crisis, his 10-year-old witty daughter decides to get him out of the rut. This adorable duo will steal your heart because Reynolds as a father to a young daughter is nothing less than a treat.  The Godfather Your dad will love The Godfather because it’s a cinematic and nostalgic throwback. Who can say no to Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and the Sicilian mafia out for blood? It’s equal parts gangster and entertaining. Amongst the family politics, one can just enjoy the rich parents’ plot with enigmatic rules.  Fatherhood If you thought that being a single dad is all roses, sunshine, and a gold pot of rainbow, then Fatherhood will give you a much-needed reality check. Fatherhood highlights the ups and inevitable downs of bringing up a child on your own. They just don't make movies like this anymore.  Parenthood   What happens when Gil Buckman tries to find the perfect work-life balance while dealing with three children and their problems? Parenthood hilariously portrays the ups and downs of family life, with Gil facing the realization that they’re expecting another child. This film provides a wonderful take on the chaotic yet rewarding experience of parenthood. Coco Miguel loves music, even though he’s not allowed to belt medleys. When he stumbles upon the Land of the Dead, it’s his golden chance to pursue his dream, while unraveling secrets along the way. Miguel’s urge to find his lost family and discover an unexpected crossover will fill you with all kinds of emotions, making it a perfect watch for Father's Day.  The Game Plan Joe (Dwayne Johnson) has it all: A successful football career, money, and fame. Well, he gets the surprise of his life too, when he finds out that one of his past flings has led to him becoming a father. How will Joe handle a mini version of him? Find out in The Game Plan where one could truly navigate what it's like to be a new father… unexpectedly.  Whether it’s a Father’s Day binge-watching party or a relaxing evening with your life’s true and constant hero, these movies will hit the spot. Happy Watching!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__zihqZZtWA Read the full article

[bookoformon]

Ether 13, Part 3. "The Repentance."

The Prophet says the only way America can prosper is if it focuses its attention on the lower class. The relief of poverty is the most lucrative and lasting source of income a nation can invest in. The return on investment on persons who are not educated, not working, who scrape by after they become educated and employed is significant.

Charitable donations tend to be flat and do not inject the proper amounts of capital needed by most high risk communities in order to completely relieve impoverished conditions. Only cooperation between the government and private enterprise can accomplish this:

"Those with resources give perpetually to worthy causes, sometimes in increasing amounts, to generate a Social ROI (SROI) benefiting more directly and less collaterally, those in our community. This is the alms giving and relief and betterment of which we speak. Notice there is no Sustainable ROI which allows the enterprise to exist in perpetuity nor any return for the giver, other a feel-good stroke. Nor is there any Transformational ROI generated that allows those employed directly by the charitable enterprise to build wealth for themselves. This could vary by organization, but most people working charitably engage in roles that are paid well below market in order to optimize the SROI. This is both courageous and admirable, but not transformational."

It is a good idea to continue to ask the public to donate, care for the poor is what makes us human and Christlike. Awareness of the needs of others is a critical component to our uppermost identities.

Our planet is now experiencing the consequences of apathy and animosity the opposite of the experience of the Sacred Self. The following explains this is because our governments and their polities have not repented of the evil they have done.

The Torah calls this process of rearranging an unchanging world according to unchanged values the work that takes place in "the same year". The goal is Coriantumr, "the dawn gate of one's innocence."

We don't need to murder to be told not to kill, or not to steal, or rape, or lie and be punished to be told right from wrong. From the beginning of time God has told us not to do these things. When we do them we must repent, or each generation will find itself witnessing mass murder as we are right now. We have never successfully lived on this planet once without this happening. The Prophet says we must be the ones to ensure this happens for the next:

15 And it came to pass that in that same year in which he was cast out from among the people there began to be a great war among the people, for there were many who rose up, who were mighty men, and sought to destroy Coriantumr by their secret plans of wickedness, of which hath been spoken.

16 And now Coriantumr, having studied, himself, in all the arts of war and all the cunning of the world, wherefore he gave battle unto them who sought to destroy him.

17 But he repented not, neither his fair sons nor daughters; neither the fair sons and daughters of Cohor; neither the fair sons and daughters of Corihor; and in fine, there were none of the fair sons and daughters upon the face of the whole earth who repented of their sins.

Coriantumr requires an understanding of the difference between Cohor, the Light, and Corihor, the Cold Light. Both result from the study of the scriptures. One invokes the Spirit, the other the Unholy Spirit. It is the Unholy Spirit that is trying to get Donald Trump reelected to the US Presidency after it is clear he has broken every commandment and has not repented. More than half of America has committed his sins with him and they will be damned if they do not repent and sack this untenable idea of another run at the White House for this demon thing.

Joe Biden is included. His repentance for allowing Donald Trump to cheat in the 2016 election and traffic in minors and yet be a free man and work with the Mormons, Hamas, and Hezbollah and reestablish oppression in America with Pro-Life has not yet been seen. The government as a result, is a full chamber pot that is getting ready to leak all over the carpet of our lives once again.

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 15: And it came to pass that in that same year in which he was cast out from among the people there began to be a great war among the people. The Value in Gematria is 13028, יגאֶפֶסבח, jagapesbah "Now is a good time to teach everyone."

v. 16: Wherefore he gave battle unto them who sought to destroy him. The Value in Gematria is 11210, java zero, "Pride in trouble."

v. 17: But he repented not. The Value in Gematria is 7357, זג‎‎ה‎ז, "This time...what about next time?"

It's not enough to use the primrose path. Joe Biden needs to have a chat with his copywriter and deliver a speech.

"My fellow Americans. I have discovered Donald Trump cheated in the 2016 election race against Hillary Clinton. He is a sponsor along with many members of the Republican Party and Washington Community of a human trafficking ring that features underage persons. He is also colluding with members of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Kremlin, North Korea and the Iranian Republican Guard to perpetrate acts of terrorism against American Allies. He has also taken credit for contract killings and assassinations here in America. I am therefore removing him from the November ballot and closing the Republican Party in order to protect our interests as a nation and international partner to other countries. You can still write in names of non-Republican candidates on the ballot, but Republican candidates will no longer be permitted to run for office. This is the right thing to do, it is certainly the legal thing to do under the circumstances. I am happy to answer your questions."

This would be so easy to do, and as the President said, it is very much the right thing to do. It will allow us to respond to our values and consciences, put an end to our unholy habits, allow us to get more work done in the Congress, end gun violence, restart our lives after quarantine, this World War 3 the Republicans got us enmired in, and live happily every after.

[self-loving-vampire]

You didn't say the lords didn't profit, but it was kind of implied by this:

"i would rather spend my day spinning yarn at my own pace while telling stories with my family than standing on a factory line making cheap goods for someone else's profit."

The truth is that a lot of your work would be for the profit of some kind of upper class douchebag in either case, as opposed to that being a modern thing.

"Even if im spinning all day I am spinning at my own pace and not the pace of some clock set by someone trying to extract all the labor value from my time. Additionally for alot of housework the line between labor and leisure become muddied. If i am making a summertime dress for my daughter is that labor or leisure? If im spinning yarn while watching my sheep is that double labor? is it leisure because im sitting down? If im forming a shoe while listening to my son tell me a dream he had is that labor or leisure?"

A couple of things about this:

One is that you are still expending time, attention, and energy doing the thing for the sake of staying clothed. That is absolutely labor even if you multitask it.

Multitasking like that is also still a thing with "modern" work. My husband works a very physical job and still reads manga and listens to youtube videos at the same time. If the argument is that labor sometimes stops being labor because you can also do other stuff at the same time then that's not really something that has gone away.

The most important point, however, is that even if you're not "on the clock" for some kind of manager, you're still not really free to just do as you please in a subsistence farming situation. Farming was intense work and if you don't do it (or even if you do it and just get unlucky) you or your family may die. You may be literally or practically a slave, even, and the labor relations involved were not exactly egalitarian in the best of cases.

The idea that "if I'm doing something fun while working" means it doesn't count as work is also one factor that leads to the "pre-industrial people worked less" misinformation. The other is simply ignoring all the tasks that were technically not "your job" but that still needed doing despite being very labor-intensive compared to the equivalent maintenance tasks today.

For example, there may not be an employer telling you to get firewood for the winter but you kinda have to do it to avoid having a bad time, don't you? Washing the dishes and cleaning the house every now and then is nothing compared to the work needed to do something like making all of your own clothes even if you don't need to give that 100% of your attention at all times.

The subsistence aspect of the labor is also why arguments based on how many holidays there were don't really work. These people are not wage laborers. They are tied to a food supply that dwindles throughout the year, and their metabolism doesn't really care if it's a holiday or not. All the exhausting chores still need to be done.

If you're not working for your lord, you're using your free time to produce for yourself, not to just chill.

Also you have to keep in mind the lords did not give these peasants food and time off out of the kindness of their heart. They did it because if they didnt have a choice. Peasant revolts and peasant strikes were more than common and were almost always a threat.

It sounds kind of like this was not a pleasant or stable system, right? What kinds of abuses do you think led to all of these rebellions and what do they say about the power dynamics at play?

Additionally, we were not talking about agricultural slaves. That was not the scope of this discussion. Additionally, we did not talk about the commons that most people worked on (vs being serfs) at their own leisure because it was not the scope of the discussion.

Quoting Devereaux:

Nearly every pre-modern complex agrarian society had some form of non-free labor, though the specifics of those systems varied significantly from place to place. Slavery of some form tends to be the rule, rather than the exception for these pre-modern agrarian societies. Two of the largest categories of note here are chattel slavery and debt bondage (also called ‘debt-peonage’), which in some cases could also shade into each other, but were often considered separate (many ancient societies abolished debt bondage but not chattel slavery for instance and debt-bondsmen often couldn’t be freely sold, unlike chattel slaves).

Talking about pre-industrial farming but overlooking the slavery seems really strange to me, especially with the above-mentioned serfs not being entirely free and lacking social mobility. Many of the rights we would consider basic (such as the right to move away or to marry) were withheld from serfs.

I don't know about you but I find the sheer amount of different, complex, and tiring tasks that needed to be done then kind of daunting compared to a salaried modern job (although I'm too disabled for either myself). I do consider such things to be labor rather than leisure too.

HALT!✋😐

did you remember to express gratitude for not having to subsistence farm today?

[divorcelawyergunnisonutah]

Estate Planning Attorney Roy Utah

Estate Planning Attorney Roy Utah

Few things are more important to the success of your estate plan than the attorney you choose to design and draft it. Almost as important is the relationship that is formed between that attorney and other professional advisors who serve you in the areas of financial advice and accounting. All successful estate planning is the result of several professions working together for the good of the client. However, professionals of one group sometimes have misconceptions of professionals belonging to other groups. For example, the financial advisor may see the estate planning attorney as little more than a document scrivener. But this is far from the truth. Many attorneys who limit their practice to estate planning are values-based, relationship-driven, client-centered and counseling-oriented. And the good ones are willing to work together with other professionals on your behalf. They understand that thorough estate planning involves more than just legal advice. The key is to find those attorneys who meet this description. So where do you find these rare creatures? How do you know if you’re dealing with the right kind of attorney? The right kind of attorney will have an orientation toward relationship-building and counseling rather than mere document preparation. The first thing he or she will offer is the ability to listen carefully to not only your goals – but also your hopes, dreams, and aspirations for yourself and your loved ones. The attorney will carry on a sensitive dialogue that will enable you to make clear your wishes to maintain control over your affairs, to be cared for properly in the event of a disability and to provide meaningfully for your loved ones after you are gone. It’s About More Than Just Taxes Any competent estate planning attorney can help you navigate the legal intricacies and tax laws that pertain to the passing of wealth. But the right kind of estate planning attorney will also be interested in your desire to pass along more than just money. He or she will ask about and explain how to accomplish such things as: • funding the education of offspring for several generations • meeting philanthropic goals that will leave a legacy for your community • preserving family history and stories that support the values you believe in • continuing or divesting a family business • caring for a surviving spouse regardless of circumstances • and much more. On a less positive, but equally important note, the right kind of attorney will ask about such things as: • the complexities of the family relationships that may exist due to second marriage situations • the special health needs of a grandchild • the son or daughter-in-law who is not to be trusted • the child or grandchild who is a spendthrift or suffers from substance abuse Such in-depth counseling forms a strong foundation on which a long-term relationship is built. That relationship is important because an estate plan is not a transaction. Rather, it’s an ongoing process that should be reviewed from time to time throughout your life – and potentially survives through several generations. You may choose to involve your adult children in the planning process, and the right attorney will build a relationship with them as well. An Interdisciplinary Approach Another trait of the right kind of attorney is true commitment to the team approach in estate planning. A good estate planning attorney recognizes that every member of the planning team (including the investment advisor, the insurance professional and the CPA) is vital to the success of the plan. The right attorney will involve the other advisors in the long-term relationship you have to the degree that you are comfortable with that arrangement. Legal documents are not enough. Even documents that have been drafted from in-depth counseling and are custom-designed to meet the unique needs of the client are not enough. Documents standing alone are like the proverbial automobile without fuel. The documents’ instructions only apply to assets that are properly owned. For example, a will only controls those things owned in the individual’s name–not jointly. The trust only controls those things owned by the trustee of the trust. An irrevocable life insurance trust works only if it is properly funded with a suitable insurance policy. Advanced entities require careful balancing of assets for maximum effectiveness. Accurate valuation of your business interests is imperative. New planning tools often require additional accounting and tax advice. Financial and insurance advisors, as well as accountants, provide the fuel that is needed to help ensure that appropriate financial assets are allocated and funded correctly, offer necessary valuations and tax returns, and provide the means for proper balance within the plan. The estate planning attorney you work with should not only recognize these truths, but be cooperative and collegial with the other professionals that are providing these things. Each member of the interdisciplinary team provides a cross-check for the other members. If there is disagreement among the professionals on a strategy or its implementation, it can be discussed and worked out between them as a team. After all, estate planning is both an art and a science. In this way, you are served with unanimous agreement among the professionals instead of getting contradicting advice from multiple sources. Mutual respect and clear protocols will characterize the interdisciplinary team that is working well together. Each team member will know exactly what is expected of him or her, and communication with each other and with you will be constant and clear. As mentioned, the right kind of attorney will be focused on a long-term (even multi-generational) relationship you and your family. Therefore, the attorney will not have a transactional approach to the estate plan, but rather a process approach. An estate plan is never really done until the person doing the planning has passed away and every instruction for every beneficiary of every subsequent generation has been carried out. Those who speak of the plan in the past tense (“They did their estate plan…”) may have a shortsighted perspective. A Strategic Process to Support the Relationships The client-centered attorney will ensure that everything possible is done so that the plan is carried to fruition and your expectations are met. There is nothing as constant as change. Your personal, family and financial situations change all the time. Kids get married and have children; there are divorces and remarriages; real estate and financial assets change value as the market goes up or down; a child marries someone you don’t approve of; a grandchild gets involved with drugs; you win the lottery; and so on. In addition, laws (both tax and non-tax) change constantly. First we have an estate tax. Then we’re told the estate tax isn’t so bad. The estate tax is abolished. Oops, the estate tax is back! Assets in retirement accounts and trusts are protected from creditors and predators. But then a court in one state says that some protected assets may not be protected in certain circumstances. There’s no way that a will or a trust drafted 20 years ago (or even 5 years ago) is current with all those changes. So updating and maintenance of the plan are required in order for it to work. The other thing that is constantly changing (or should be) is the growth and education of the attorney and every advisor working with you on your plan. Over time, new planning strategies are developed, new tools are discovered, and there are better ways to accomplish a goal. Of course, you will continue growing as well, and your goals for the plan could change. The right estate planning attorney has systems in place to ensure he or she stays in touch with you, that the rest of the planning team knows of changes, and that there are methods to adjust the plan in light of those changes. As every member of the planning team focuses on the needs of the client, the process will run smoothly, and you will be more comfortable with the advice that is given and the decisions you make. The attorney will also be aware that for a plan to work well, the people who will help in the future need to know what’s going on. If the children will someday serve as trustees and personal representatives, the attorney might be involved in teaching those children what to do. If ongoing trusts have been established to protect those children and grandchildren, the other advisors should be available to continue serving as advisors to the subsequent generations instead of losing that expertise and familiarity. The client-centered interdisciplinary approach can make that happen. Your Role in the Estate Planning Process Your role in the process is an active role, not a passive one. You should avoid the attorney who is content with simply telling you what to do, and then throwing together some documents to accomplish it. That is the attorney’s plan – not yours. In summary, if you’re working with the right estate planning attorney, you should plan on being involved in three distinct steps: 1. Develop a plan with counseling-oriented (rather than document-oriented) professionals. 2. Commit you and your family to an ongoing maintenance and education program. 3. Assure that your wisdom is passed along with your wealth. As you consider those you love, and those material things that you’ll someday leave behind, only a properly designed and implemented estate plan can ensure that your goals for those loved ones are accomplished. Many estate plans in America don’t work. They often consist of fill-in-the-blank documents, delivered in a one-time transaction, and never updated. If that’s all an attorney can offer, that’s not the right attorney for you. Choose an attorney that is counseling-oriented, values-based, and as strong on relationships as he or she is on the law. Estate planning is the process of managing and parceling out an estate to reduce the taxes owed and to transfer assets to beneficiaries after someone dies. The goal being that all of your financial wishes are met upon your death and are not determined by a court. You plan your estate through legal entities like trusts, wills, powers of attorney, health care surrogacy, etc. These are critical legal tools that will help your spouse and your family after you dies and avoids having your estate go into probate and be settled by a judge. When you begin to make a plan, you will want to go through an attorney to make sure that all of the requirements are in order for your final wishes to be carried out appropriately as per the laws in your particular state. There are some things you can do to prepare to meet with your estate planning attorney. Steps In Planning Your Estate The first of these is to get your documents in order. You will want the names and addresses of all parties that are associated with your assets. Bank account information, pension and retirement plans, insurance information, household inventory lists, debt list, etc. are all things you will want to bring to a meeting with your estate planning attorney. You want to provide as much information as possible so they can prepare your estate plan as well as possible. When seeking out an estate attorney, there are some things you will want to ask. You will need to know how much they charge for their services, how best to reduce your tax requirement after death, are there any apparent problems with your wishes, are arrangements in order for children, and how often should my will be updated? These are all things you will want to cover initially before beginning your plan.

Where To Find An Estate Attorney One of the best ways to begin finding an estate attorney is through references. Ask family members and friends who they would recommend. Other people you use can be of help to such as financial advisors, accountants, attorneys you have used in the past, or contact the local bar association. Advertisements can provide information on estate planning attorneys but make sure you ask all the questions you need to before settling on someone to use. You can also do research online and visit websites of estate attorneys in your area. Good attorneys will have a site that will explain the estate planning process and might even have testimonials from happy clients. You will want to make sure that your estate is planned for and that your wealth, no matter how small, is distributed as you want it to be upon your death. At a minimum, people should plan for a power of attorney and have a will to ensure that you and your assets are properly planned for when the time comes to divide up your estate. An attorney that specializes in estate planning attorney is the best choice for this job. Acquiring your own estate planning attorney can prove to be a simple venture as per the aforementioned factors and there are an ample amount of benefits that are associated with acquiring your own personal estate planning attorney. Although there is a myth that estate planning will only benefit those of an affluent nature, every individual throughout the nation will have the ability to reap the benefits of estate planning. If for no other reason than to make things go smoothly for your spouse and family. Benefits of An Estate Plan One of the largest benefits of having a plan are reduced estate taxes. Considering that you will be provided with the opportunity to gift assets such as stocks or gifting interests that are related to corporations, this will enable you to lower the value of your estate. Due to the fact that once these assets are gifted, they can no longer be held against the value of the estate, the property taxes will inevitably decrease. Another benefit to acquiring an attorney for your estate needs is that it will provide individuals with the opportunity to keep their family members from having to spend a copious amount of money relating to taxes, litigation expenses, and other unnecessary expenses that may arise. With the opportunity to discuss your estate planning with a certified lawyer you will be able to ensure that all extra costs will not affect those within your family. But the biggest benefit is the peace of mind having a complete estate plan will bring. Knowing your spouse and family are cared for and won’t have to deal with sticky legal issues is by far the biggest benefit. As previously mentioned, estate planning enables the individual to ensure that particular individuals receive certain assets that you may have. With the use of a proper will and other legal documents you will be able to specify which individuals will be the rightful heirs and which individuals will receive other assets that you wish to delegate amongst your family. With the opportunity to legally determine who receives which asset you can rest assured that all belongings will be separated equally throughout your family or in whatever fashion you desire. Everyone Needs to Meet With Estate Planning Attorneys Many people believe that estate planning is something done only by the wealthy or by the elderly. The fact is, this could not be further from the truth. Whether you are young or old, it is important to meet with estate planning attorneys so you can have your affairs in order in case something goes wrong. When most people think of estate planning, they think of making a will. It is true, of course, that planning attorneys assist with the creation of a valid will that will stand up in court and that will prevent your heirs from fighting over your assets and possessions at the time of your death. However, estate attorneys do much more than simply help you to draft a will. Estate planning attorneys can recommend comprehensive strategies to help you to protect your assets and your wealth not only from being subject to high estate taxes but also from being lost if you become ill or incapacitated. Estate planning attorneys can do this by helping you to create trusts to protect your assets, or by helping you to make appropriate plans for long-term care insurance. Estate planning attorneys will also help to make sure that you are taken care of if something happens to you so you are not at the mercy of family members to act on your behalf during their time of grief. Some of the different things that estate planning attorneys can do that you may not be aware of include: Helping You To Establish A Power Of Attorney If you are ever unable to speak for yourself or to access your own bank accounts or manage your own money, you will need to have a trusted person doing these things for you. If you do not name a power of attorney, your family may be unable to access your bank accounts or to make decisions on your behalf without getting a court order granting them the right to do so. Don’t put your family through this, and don’t leave the handling of your affairs to chance. Establish a power of attorney so that someone you trust looks out for you when you no longer can. Helping You To Establish A Living Will One of the most important things that an estate attorney will do for you is help you to establish a living will. A living will is a document that specifies what will happen if you suffer a medical emergency and need life-saving medical care. In your living will, you can specify what extraordinary measures- if any- you want used to help save or extend your life. If you do not want to put your family into a situation where they have to “pull the plug,” so to speak, or if you want to make sure you control your own death and maintain your dignity, you need a living will. While wills and trusts are partially about determining who gets your assets after your death, you will also need to specify other things like who should be guardian of your kids or who will look after your pets. Estate planning attorneys help you to make sure these important issues are taken care of.

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[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Royal Households and How they Work

When I say Households, I mean the entourage that follows around the royal family. The household went everywhere with them to care for their needs from the people who would empty their chamber pots to their noble companions. Most royal households are basically the same as noble ones, only on grander scale. Every royal had a household and an entourage as well as every noble at court.

Palace Personnel ~ The Commons

The commons were an intregal part of every household. They made up perhaps 80% of the work force. Royal courts were often on the road and never spent more than a few months at every palace. The court was constantly moving. Some positions were not permanent, meaning certain servants did not travel with the court because they were employed at the palace only. They would be paid by the Monarch's paymaster.

Scullion: The scullion was a relatively easy position to fill so they were often changed as the court went from palace to palace. They would be responsible for scrubbing and cleaning the servants quarters and the kitchens. They would scrub floors with lye, scour pots with sand, sweep put the fireplace and clean up after the other servants. They were the first to rise in a castle and tasked to light all the fires in the kitchens. Scullions would just be employed to the palace and serve a multitude of chambers

Laundress: The laundress was responsible for the cleaning of anything made of fabric in the household. Since they are handling unmentionables, they knew what happened behind closed bedchamber doors. They knew when the King visited the Queen or hadn't, they knew when marriages were consummated or not and they knew when the Queen and royal women were not pregnant. They often sold secrets to pad their pockets. Laundresses might be permanent staff but sometimes not.

Minstrels: The minstrel was a commoner hired to play an instrument or sing for the entertainment of the royal. A royal might staff a few at a time but they would always have one on hand. The minstrel would likely come with their masters as they travelled. The minstrel might serve the main royal household but a royal might retain their own.

Cook: The cook was one of the most important servants in the household. They would have the task of overseeing the running of the kitchens and keeping supplies in order. They would likely be on call at all times. Henry VIII's cook was often woken in the night because his royal master wanted a midnight snack. The cook was a valued member of the household and would have been highly sought after if they were a very skilled cook. They would have travelled with the joint. Cooks were apart of the greater royal household but often royals retained private cooks for their own use.

Maidservant: The maidservant cleans the castle. She would sweep the floors, scrub them, empty the chamberpots, get rid of the ashes from the fire and ready the fire for later. She would make up the bed or strip it for the laundresses. She would wash anything that needed washing including furniture and ornaments. She was likely not a travelling servant and would be strictly employed at a single palace.

Jester: The jester was the hired entertainer. Working under the master of revels, the jester had the daunting task of making the monarch and their family laugh. They would tell jokes, tell stories, cause havoc in the court for laughs and lighten the mood. The most successful jester of all time was Will Somers, jester to Henry VIII. Will broke bad news to the infamously bad tempered monarch and got away with things that would have sent others to the block. Will survived most of Henry's reign, his head intact. Jesters would be apart of the main household though each royal might have one of their own.

Positions within the Royal Household ~ Noble

Nobility were always welcomed at court. They eat at court, slept at court and were cared for by the monarch. Some nobles had to sing for their supper and most were hired as royal servants. They weren't exactly scrubbing floors and would be paid handsomely with land that would generate wealth for them

The Steward/Seneschal: This person was the head of the royal's staff. They would have the task of running the lands and servants their master or mistress. The steward served as a backup and assistant in all the tasks even representing their master or mistress when they were unavailable. Would be a high ranking noble. Each royal household would have them.

Treasurer of the Household: The treasurer was the accountant and pay master. They would be in charge of ensuring debts were settled, wages were paid and the household was running within the budget. This was a coveted position because it gave the treasurer insight into the financial situations of the royals. Such info was wroth its weight in gold. Each royal would have one.

Usher: The Gentleman Usher would be in charge of escorting guests into the royal chambers and into the royal presence. They would act as a go between their royal master/mistress and the guest often going back and forth with messages. It was just as coveted as the position of chamberlain but with less responsibilities.

Master of Horse: The Master of Horse was in charge of seeing to the horses of their master. They would oversee the grooms or the stableboy/hands who were employed at the stables to actually care for the horses. The master of horse would ensure that the stables were in order and the horses were up to parr in order to bear royalty across the kingdom. Each royal would have one but there would a main one who acted as overseer.

Master of the Wardrobe/Mistress of the Robes: These are the nobility who are employed to look after the clothes of the royal they serve. This would mainly involve a managerial position, overseeing the inventory of the royal wardrobe (a warehouse like building that housed the clothing) and placing orders for new clothes. It was a tidy job that rarely involved getting the hands dirty. Each royal would have one.

Chamberlain/Valet: The chamberlain is employed to look after the Lord's bedchamber. This was the most sought out position as they effectively were the gateway into the royal presence. Their main task was making sure their boss was comfortable and happy. Could be a well born commoner or a noble. Each royal would have one.

The Page: All royal households had pages. They would be a young noble boy about seven years old sent to their royal master. He would be in charge of tidying up after the lord, carrying messages to other servants and occupants of the castle and serving him at meals. Unlike others on the list, the page would not be paid. His experience was his payment as he would learn the running of a court and how to be courtier. Each royal would have one.

Squires: Squires were like pages though they only served the men. They would accompany their royal master to battle, look after his armour and mail, ensure that his lord's horse was saddled, caring for their master's weapons. The squire would always be a young nobleman on the cusp of becoming a knight.

Governess: The governess is a noblewoman woman employed to oversee the Monarch's children's household. She would be the first teacher a royal child would have and would oversee the nursemaids who would have care of the physical person of the child. She would be appointed when the child was four or five. Notable governesses include Katherine Swynford (wife of John of Gaunt and mother to the Beaufort line), Margaret Pole (wife of Tudor Loyal Sir Richard Pole, sister of the last York heir Edward of Warwick, daughter of George Duke of Clarence and niece to King Edward VI and Richard III), Kat Ashley, Margaret Bryan, Madame de Maintenon and Baroness Lehzen. Most unmarried Princesses retained their governesses while Princes generally outgrew their governesses after they were breeched.

Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber: They were the male companions of a King or Prince, sort of like ladies in waiting but manly. They would accompany the King or Prince everywhere they would go and shared duties with Groom of the Stool (royal toilet paper dispenser) and the Chief Gentleman of the Chamber (overseeing the staff and maintaining the chamber). They would help their master get ready, serve him at the table and organize hunting and games to keep him entertained. Gentlemen and companions where often chosen for their connections as well as their master's own opinion. Henry VIII's gentlemen included: Sir William Compton (ward of Henry VII and heir to rich lands), Sir Henry Norris (the grandson of William Norris who fought with Henry's father at Stroke and a relation to the Yorkists Lovells), Sir Anthony Denny (son of Sir Edmund Denny Baron of the Exchequer) Sir Michael Stanhope (brother in law to Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset), Charles Brandon (ward of Henry VII and son of Tudor Loyalists)

Ladies in Waiting and Maids in Waiting or Maids of Honour: These are the female attendants to the Queen or Princess. Ladies in Waiting were married while the Maids were unmarried. They would have to attend their mistress wherever she went, help her get ready, keep her chambers in order, write letters for the Queen and maintaining her honour. They were chosen for their connections. Using Katherine of Aragon as an example, her Ladies in Waiting included: Maria de Salinas (daughter of Juan Sancriz de Salinas secretary to Isabella, Princess of Portugal and a Spanish courtier in the service to Katherine's parents, wife of Baron Willoughby de Ersby), Elizabeth Howard (the daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, sister to Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and wife to Thomas Boleyn, ambassador to France), Anne Hastings (daughter of William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings, wife to George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury and Lord Steward.), Agnes Tilney (wife to Thomas Howard, Earl of and 2nd Duke of Norfolk.), Elizabeth Scrope (wife of John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, a loyal Tudor lord), Margaret Scrope (wife of Sir Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk cousin to the King), Anne Stafford (sister of the Duke of Buckingham, married Sir George Hastings, Earl of Huntington and daughter of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (cousin to the King) and Lady Katherine Woodville (sister of King Henry VIII's grandmother and his great aunt by her marriage), Elizabeth Stafford (sister to Anne Stafford wife Robert Radcliffe, Lord Fitzwalter and Earl of Sussex around). Their connections are what got them their places and you can see why they were chosen.

Accommodation

Accommodation can be a difficult thing to sort both as a writer and a steward. You might have a palace of 200+ bedchambers in which you must house a staff of 500-/+, a varying amount of nobles, the royal family (of a varying amount) and their own households. When assigning rooms it is best to think of a Russian nesting doll. Start from the inside and work your way to the outside.

The best rooms go to the monarch, their consort and their children/siblings/parent(s). These chambers would include the bedroom, a drawing room/ common area, a privy, a closet (a small chamber that can be used for prayer or work). They would be furnished with the best cloth, the best candles and whatever furniture brought by the resident since most royal courts travelled from palace to palace. They will also have chambers for their personal servants such as ladies in waiting and grooms.

The second best set of rooms would go to the highest ranking nobles/people in the court. These rooms would be less fancy and a little smaller. These would be given to from titled nobility descending from those of Ducal rank (Dukes/Duchesses) or even members of the council such as Thomas Cromwell in Tudor times.

The next set would be considerably smaller, perhaps minus a closet or a drawing room. Given to lower nobility.

The next level of chambers would be smaller perhaps only the bedroom and a common area given to minor nobles.

The last set of rooms would be small and only hold enough room for a bedroom. Servants would have to sleep on the ground on pallets beside their masters.

Any other guests at court would have to stay at off-site locations around the palace in the city. Some nobles at houses around major palaces just in case they arrived late or were kicked out of court.

[whatifyoulivelikethat]

snake | myg

pairing(s): yoongi x reader

summary: Your parents have no qualms on doing whatever they can to climb the social ladder. That includes assigning you a betrothed you've never met, an offering to the crown prince. You, the one the gossipers whisper under their breath... the Snake Princess.

warnings: implied parental emotional and physical abuse; language; non-idol!AU - prince!Yoongi x aristocrat!reader, ft overprotective (but secretly soft), tattooed, little brother!JK; based on this

–

“I don’t care what our father said, you’re not marrying him!”

You scratched your ear, partly shielding it from the loud voice of your brother.

“He’s an asshole!”

“You don’t know him?” you offered, affixing your earring, somewhat annoyed. The yellow gold wasn’t quite your style. Your parents liked such gaudy, ugly things.

Both in fashion and tradition, unfortunately.

“Do you?” your brother shot back, throwing himself up from your bed where he was yelling at the ceiling about nothing he could change. It was a favorite past time of his, along with following you around like a talkative shadow.

“No, that’s why I’m meeting him today,” you replied dryly. You switched to the other ear, adding the dragon-shaped ear cuff above the gold earring. Your parents hated it when you added such aggressive accessories – they’re not womanly, they would say – but if you were going to be betrothed to some guy on the sole basis that they had ambitions and he was the man who so happened to be the next-in-line for the throne, you weren’t going to lie about what kind of woman you were.

“Aren’t you pissed?”

You shrugged. “Is it so bad?”

“Yes!”

You sighed and flickered your eyes to the mirror, seeing Jeon Jungkook’s furious expression, long black hair tied back with lingering strands framing his high cheekbones, his black and gold robes wild, poorly tied and revealing half of his tanned, toned chest. His dark brown eyes flashed, pressing his cherry-painted lips together, jawline sharp and defiant. That’s how Jungkook always looked, messy, undone, borderline furious.

Everyone called him the Reckless Prince.

You just called him little brother.

“Noona…”

“Hmm?”

You saw him frown and you looked away, running a hand through your hair, browsing your hair accessories. You used to have an aide to help you at one point, but you told your parents to get rid of them, preferring to get ready by yourself. And besides, Jungkook liked to burst in and interrupt you with his relentless tirades about how unfair your arranged marriage was. There was no point in having hired help when you could coerce your brother into doing things as you put up with him.

“Can I brush your hair?”

“You have arms and hands, so you’re physically capable, yes.”

You heard him click his tongue in annoyance and smirked, shifting your eyes to the mirror. He was behind you now, face no longer visible. It didn’t matter. You already knew his cross expression quite well. He snatched the ornate comb from your vanity, the black snake head clearly visible on the side of his right wrist, inked near his thumb. Your parents scolded and beat him for getting it, but Jungkook could care less, breaking the wooden paddle with ease, right out of your mother’s hand.

You hadn’t said anything.

The rumors called you the Snake Princess.

Quick-witted, sharp, vicious. Not to your face though, because that was just foolishness. It wouldn’t be only your wrath they would be evoking.

Jungkook ran the comb through your hair, gently separating the strands, careful not to pull too hard. He was better than any aide anyway. They merely yanked and pulled you into their standard of beauty, ignoring your opinions or input, always citing that it was important to not look like a peasant, important to always look above your status, using your beauty to save face.

Saving face.

You hated those words.

“What if he’s a horrible person?” your brother asked quietly, tucking the strands away from your eyes only for them to slip back stubbornly.

“Then he’s a horrible person,” you replied, applying your makeup. “And you’ll probably do something about it.”

Jungkook made a noise between an aggravated bear and an injured tiger.

“If he so much as puts one fingertip on you, I’ll kill him.”

You snorted. “I’d hate to tell you what marriage entails, Jungkook.”

The comb in your hair paused.

His anger subsided, just like that.

“You’re really going to do it?” he asked softly. “Really, really?”

You heard the pain in Jungkook’s voice.

You recalled when you received the news many years ago, silent fury as your parents gave you away, turning you into a transaction to raise their own reputation and status. Your reaction was nothing to your little brother’s, him running to your room and crying in your arms, distraught and upset that you were leaving him, declaring he hated your parents, everyone, and everything.

“You’re supposed to protect me,” Jungkook had sobbed, already too big for you to hold like this but you did anyway, patting his head and wiping his tears with your sleeve. “You’re supposed to be here, with me, forever and always.”

He had taken your hand, tucking his fingers in yours, pressing your pinkies together.

“You promised me.”

And you had, from the very beginning, the shy kid always following after you and making you speak for him, your parents yelling and scolding him to be a man, but you defending him, taking the slaps meant for him, sneaking him sweets when he was hiding his tears, telling him it was okay to cry and that noona would stay here and listen to his worries, no matter if it was as stupid as a butterfly flying away or the teacher once again reprimanding him for his poor scores.

The amount of pressure they put on him just because he was the son was immense.

“I wanna play,” he had cried softly. “I don’t have to study anymore.”

“You want to be stupid?” you had teased, patting his head. “What if I had my lessons with you? I can make that happen.”

“R-Really?”

So, you made it happen, telling your parents and tutors that it would be better for him to be exposed to more complex concepts earlier rather than later and watching someone learn would improve his own scores. You made yourself a better student for his benefit and he, in turn, followed obediently, doing what you did, always overjoyed to hear your praise.

You and your snake tongue could made anything happen for him.

“This servant is bothering me.”

You found some questionable information on that servant and they resigned rather quickly.

“I don’t like the girl our father introduced me to.”

Suddenly said girl was no longer interested in Jungkook. For… reasons.

“I wish I could go on vacation, even for a couple days.”

That one got you both beaten for your three-day adventure to the sea, mostly because you had to run away from your duties to do it. But it was worth it to see the smile on Jungkook’s face.

Then Jungkook became a teenager.

You might have taught him that rules were for old people, for the generation too uptight.

He wanted to do a whole lot of things and you made it happen. Getting him out of those sticky situations was a bit tough, but nothing unmanageable. And now Jungkook was a young adult who did not care about anyone’s opinion other than yours, getting tattooed and spending all of his time with his friends, lackadaisical and free, your parents giving up and calling him a disgrace, relying on your marriage to restore the reputation they valued so much, the face they themselves ruined with their own poor decisions, taking out their frustrations on you and Jungkook, sometimes without warning.

You stayed home, playing good daughter so Jungkook could be the bad son.

Ah, maybe it was your fault he was the Reckless Prince.

You turned, looking up at him now from the corner of your eye, up his loose robes and exposed collarbone, up the line of his jaw that was similar to yours, his lips not quite as full, his round brown orbs that were actually much more innocent and purer than he liked to admit, similar to your eye shape.

But not the same.

Because your eyes were sharper, cold-blooded, predatory.

Even with Jungkook, there was no mistaking the power behind your gaze.

“Do you think just because I’m married to some man that he can control my life?” you said with a sly smile, your lips painted lush red. “I’ll come visit you whenever I want. You can come whenever you want. You can live with me if you want.”

You turned back, sweeping your hair and twisting it in place, deftly and quickly pinning it back, leaving some strands loose and messy that your parents would highly disapprove of, but why did that matter? If this man was to be your husband, then he would see you completely undone at one point, so he should get used to it.

Your parents wouldn’t approve of the black and dark green combination you had chosen either, but that’s why you learned how to sew to dress yourself as you liked. You have to be a lady. You were a lady. Just your version of a lady and not theirs. They tried to gatekeep you by saying that the pink and yellow fabrics were all they could afford. They had a tendency to underestimate your craftiness.

No obstacle was too high for the Snake Princess to slither over.

“Really?” Jungkook asked as you stood up, smoothly adjusting the tie at your waist.

You chuckled at him as he began to follow you out of your bedroom.

“If that’s what you want, I’ll do it for you.”

-

“You brought your brother.”

“I don’t bring him anywhere. He comes and goes as he pleases.”

Jungkook was sitting behind you, arms crossed, glaring at the dark-haired man sitting in front of you. You had mildly fixed his appearance before entering only from him to push up his sleeves so he could reveal the entire snake tattoo wrapped around his arm, a black snake surrounded by thorned vines.

“Hmm.”

This man had requested to meet you first, alone, without the parents. Untraditional, but as long as his father agreed to the request, it was done. Your father had no say in the matter, although he did protest rather loudly and uncouthly.

You had poured the tea for your future husband and you.

Neither of you were drinking it.

The man before you had a piercing gaze, cloud-white skin, shapely lips. Somehow, he surprised you by being dressed in black and gold as well, although he was much neater than Jungkook, black hair tied back in a the usual, curated traditional style.

“I intend in marrying you, you know.”

He had a deep, rough voice, reminding you of dead leaves and winter.

“Is that not the point of this meeting?” was your dry response.

A dark eyebrow lifted.

Jungkook clicked his tongue dismissively.

Those shapely lips curved into a slow smirk.

“I thought I wouldn’t like you,” the dark-haired man mused, reaching over to the teacup and pulling it to him. “I was fully prepared to refuse this proposal and put your family more in the dirt than your brother has already put them into.”

“You bas–” Jungkook hissed, but you held up a hand, cutting him off.

You kept your eyes on those dark brown orbs, cat-like and predatory. He took a deep inhale of the aroma of the tea, letting out a satisfied, smokey sigh.

“I thought you would be like the others. Prim, proper, begging for me to take your hand.”

You raised an eyebrow. “What do I need to beg for? You either will or you won’t. It has nothing to do with me.”

A dark chuckle. “Indeed.”

He took a long sip of the tea, savoring it. You watched him swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing, tongue flickering out to lick his lips. Slowly lowering his head, scrutinizing gaze on you. He made you wait for his words.

“And besides, snakes can’t kneel, can they, Snake Princess?” he purred.

“Don’t you dare call her that!”

“No, they cannot,” you replied calmly, ignoring Jungkook’s outburst, staring into the eyes of the man who was going to decide whether or not you were going to be his wife.

“They can’t pray either.”

The dark-haired man tilted his head, intrigued.

“I have no need for gods to be able to live the life I want, Min Yoongi,” you said quietly, venomous edge to your voice. “The ties you put on me cannot restrain me from living as frivolously or ambitiously as I like.”

Min Yoongi, the man who would decide whether you would live an honorable or disgraceful life, the man who was next-in-line, the crown prince. You were meant to be his, but, unlike you, he was free to refuse. Unlike you, he had nothing to lose. Unlike you, he could destroy your life in a heartbeat with a simple no.

“You believe that?” Yoongi questioned, daring you.

You didn’t back down, small serpentine smile on your lips.

“I do not need to believe when I know.”

Silence.

Then Yoongi’s shoulders shook, raspy laughing bubbling from his throat, smirk on his lips.

“You want me to refuse. You want to ruin your parents’ lives.”

You didn’t say anything, your smile fading.

“Ah, but the problem is, I really do like you, Snake Princess,” Yoongi hummed. “You sharp tongue and you even sharper mind. A simpler man would have been tricked by you.” He tapped his long fingers against the table, keeping his feline poise directed at you. “I did not want some placid, useless little thing but a real woman, someone who isn’t afraid to say what she thinks. Why have a trophy when you can have a weapon?”

He placed his chin on the back of his other hand, clicking his tongue thoughtfully.

“What shall we do then? You absolutely must be my wife.”

“You–” Jungkook hissed, rising up behind you, glaring at Yoongi over your shoulder. “You know she doesn’t want to marry you and yet you’re going to do it anyway?”

The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow. “She doesn’t want to marry me because she wants her parents to pay for using her so carelessly to further their status. However,” he added with a sweep of his hand on the table, palm upward towards you. “Has she actually said she has no interest in me as a person? During this entire meeting, has she declared that I, the crown prince, am not to her liking?”

Yoongi gave Jungkook a sharp look.

“Do you think she would hide her disdain for me if she had some?”

Silence.

“N… Noona?”

“Yes, Jungkook?”

“You don’t like him at all… right?”

Silence.

You let out a deep breath, slow and controlled.

“Hmm, you are very intuitive.”

Yoongi grinned. “You know we would be a good match, you and I. Here,” he murmured, pointing to the table. “On the throne.” Pointing outside, indicating the land. His cat-like eyes locked with your snake-like gaze, lips forming his next words slowly and deliberately.

“In bed.”

Your eyes trailed from those glittering dark eyes to his pleased smirk. Not a malicious expression somehow. An exciting one. You fully expected to be walking into this room to tear down an arrogant, gaudy man with grandiose self-centeredness.

Instead, it was Min Yoongi.

He ticked his chin to Jungkook, now right next you instead of behind you, clutching your arm tightly.

“Do you want him to be with you? That could be arranged. I can make that happen.”

You really thought you would hate Min Yoongi and yet it seemed as if you were being drawn closer and closer to him. You pursed your lips, not ready to give up yet. He continued.

“And, of course, there’s no reason for your parents to enjoy luxuries that they didn’t earn, is there?”

You narrowed your eyes at him. Yoongi smiled, calm with an underlying slyness.

“That would reflect on you if you treated your in-laws poorly,” you responded coolly.

Yoongi shrugged. “And so? I still have you.” He tilted his head. “Why take a wife if you’re not prepared to do anything for her?” He nodded to himself, tapping his fingertips on the table once more. “Whatever you want, I can make it happen. Be it your brother tagging along, your parents’ lives in ruins…”

Yoongi’s eyes found yours and there was a kindness, already knowing your and him were meant to be.

You weren’t so sure.

And yet.

His next words made you fall in love.

“If that’s what you want, I’ll do it for you.”

--

masterpost

[swamp-world]

Like maybe it's not that deep but also, I'm going to be annoying about it, because there's an endless pattern that frustrates me of much of (queer) fandom in particular (not blanket term, much variety and many good cases) where subversive, complicated, upsetting, contradictory relationships which sometimes exist within a traditional (legal?) familial dynamic, and where that is the basis for the tension—legally adopting someone to make them your coworker because it is a way to ensure someone is your colleague and is safe and effective at their job—the traditional familial role is prioritized over the other dynamics at play, and any ethics you want to apply to or extrapolate from it are still subordinate to the dominance of the nuclear family.

And crucially, not only does this happen with folks where there absolutely is an existing familial/parental dynamic, but this traditional familial dynamic (grandfathers, fathers, sons, daughters—and how are women treated in this acquiescing to patriarchal family dynamics?) is extended to everyone in the orbit of the family structure, often at the expense of the complex relations of those characters themselves not able to be brought into this found family.

Specifically, found family dynamics are often treated as revolutionary, which in many ways they still are, but that "found family" is prioritized over non-familial kinship. Often "found family" still prioritizes a traditional model of family (though not necessarily legally recognized) where there is a single household, one or two central parental or role-model figures at any given time (maybe three if we're being generous) but that someone who is a father to one is a father to all who are younger and in his orbit (in Batman's case). It is not a bad thing to enjoy found family! It is a weird thing to talk about found family being disruptive to structures of power but to also have it largely end at the idea that family doesn't have to be blood, rather than interrogating the value of "family" as a whole. (Especially when a book is drawing attention to the tensions of what it means to be "family" in the first place.)

tl;dr A lot of the time the "family" part of found family problematizes preexisting relationships and complexities, rather than those complexities and relationships problematizing family. And it just makes a lot of the dynamics much less interesting for it.

Yo Bruce was responsible, he grabbed a kid and let him be Robin? Bruce shares a pretty significant amount of blame. Same with everything that happens with the Robins/Batgirls. They wouldn't be in this position if Bruce didn't train them to fight bad guys and expose them to the killer clowns??? Dude is supposed to be their parent ffs

sure whatever but surely we all see how the clown is more responsible right. like the primary contributor to the death of Jason Todd is in fact. his murderer.

[blackenedwhite97]

Coming Out [Poly! Erasermic x {Fem}Reader]

Hello! this was a requested fic from like before Christmas. I'M A MESS I KNOW I'M SORRY! I’ll be catching up at some point, I'm in my final sem at uni and have MAJOR senioritis. Me no do unless me have to. Instead, now I just spend my time staring at the existential abyss the threatens to swallow my ceiling and think about everything I'm procrastinating. But I digress...

Content Warning: This story is of a negative experience coming out as poly to your family, this deals with rejection from the reader's mother, father, and a grandparent. This story demonstrates Homophobia, xenophobia, traditionalist and conservative values and attitudes and may be triggering to some folks.

This story includes a Polyamorous relationship

Polyamory: the practice of engaging in multiple sexual relationships with the consent of all the people involved.

Word Count: 3.7 K (A baby story)

Y/N --- 4:06pm

Hey can my roomates come to dinner?

DAD --- 4:06

You mean the gays?

Y/M --- 4:08

Please don’t call them that. Neither of them are gay anyways, there’s more than just gay or straight.

DAD --- 4:10

Yeah whatever. Let your mom decide.

MOM --- 5:12

Sure, they can come.

Mom --- 5:23

Gma might be coming dinner tho. Maybe talk to them?

That conversation should have been enough of a warning for how the evening was going to transpire. At news of your grandmother attending dinner, you panicked and tried to back out of your plans. You had been growing steadily farther apart from your parents anyways, barely seeing them more that once a year if that. It’s not like they didn’t have their suspicions anyways, to them you were a single woman living in the big city sharing an apartment with two gay men. Not that they’d ever been to the apartment. If they had they might have notice that one of the two “bedrooms” was being used as an office. Earlier on in the relationship you were so deeply uncomfortable being around your parents alone, that you had Shouta come with you every visit because you were so paranoid you were just going to come out on the spot.

At first your parents were sure that you and Shouta were together. He had subconsciously cleaned up quite nice the first few times he met your parents anyways, wanting to make a good impression on them if you finally did tell them about your polyamorous relationship. Then as time went on you got busier and started to see them less. Shouta’s parents lived in the suburbs and you saw them on holidays, plus Shouta had come out to them as being bisexual a long time ago and hadn’t felt much pressure to hide the polyamorous nature of your relationship to begin with. Hizashi’s mom was still a city dweller in her 60’s and on top of doing the cute mom things like baking fantastic cookies and handing down family jewelry to the daughter in law, she’d also taken Hizashi and Shouta to their first pride in Tokyo and had an in-home recording studio where she recorded for local punk bands. She was, quite literally, a cool mom.

You gnawed vigorously at your thumbnail, not quiet biting the whole way through, instead riddling it with dents and cracks. Chewing your nails wasn’t a habit you’d always had, it became a sort of silent worry thing you started to do when you got to your agency and had to remain still and quiet during briefings, no matter how terrible the news was. Your ruined nail beds were an atrocity to Hizashi, who had paid several times for you to get a manicure to get your nails short and evenly trimmed so you could manage them on your own. You still somehow found a way to gnaw on the short squared off nubs of your nails though, and it drove him nuts. Shouta cared less, his hands were in ridiculous shape, he was callused and bruised, cracked and flaking all over the place and Hizashi would regularly force moisturizer on them. Shouta cared more about figure out the root stress, it’s not that Hizashi didn’t, he just didn’t know how to, so he settled for pampering you.

“It’s dead.” Hizashi huffed from the bedroom door. “Obliterated, actually.”

“Hmm?” You looked up from your phone, you hadn’t been reading any of the messages in the chat for a good few minutes and just let your eyes unfocus instead. You yanked your thumb from your mouth and hid it below the table like a child caught with a sweet they’d snuck from the kitchen before dinner, you knew he saw.

“Your nail.” Hizashi gently patted the end of his hair with his special fluffy towel that he’d convinced you and Shouta he needed to control his frizz (which he didn’t have) and padded towards the kitchen table where you sat. He placed a kiss on the top of your head as he strode around you.

“What’s up, love?” he murmured softly, leaning against the table next you. One of his legs propped up on the chair to your right and leaned down to look at your phone screen.

“This is going to go horribly.” You breathed, panicked as you set your phone down on the table.

“You don’t know that.” Hizashi looked back up at you and smiled sweetly.

“Not everyone’s mom is a cool rocker lady in her 60’s who lives in the heart of downtown still and is fully supportive of her child’s bisexual polyamorous relationship with their childhood best friend and an ex-small-town girl with an ultra-conservative family.” You huffed out in one long breath.

“That was oddly specific.” He chuckled softly. “What about Sho’s parents, they’re conservative?”

“Yeah, but his parents are at least polite and send us both Christmas gifts every year and keep any and all of their shittier opinions to themselves because they want their son to be happy.” You groaned dramatically, dropping your head onto his thigh, using the extra meat to muffle the noise.

“Y-your-” Hizashi’s leg twitched from the vibrations of your groan. “Your parents want you to be happy too, Y/n.”

You groaned into his thigh, trying to explain the difference between your parent’s and Shouta’s. Hizashi laughed and gently grabbed the side of your face, lifting it so you were no longer muffled by his leg.

“Try again.” He instructed.

“They only want me to be happy if it fits into their rigid frame of what acceptable happiness looks like.” You explained again.

“Hey,” Hizashi ran his thumb back and forth across your cheek, “have faith, baby. They’re your family, they love you.”

If only he’d been right.

Shouta was the know it all, the one that way always right. Hizashi on the other hand was quiet used to being the one that was not always right, he had no hubris about his intelligence what-so-ever. So much so that sometimes you and Shouta had to remind him that he was intelligent and offered a lot of knowledge and wisdom in many many ways: public speaking, social relationships, radio scripting, he spoke two languages fluently as well. However, this one-time Hizashi wished dearly that he had been right, that he was an insufferable know it all who never got it wrong. It was a different twisted feeling in his gut, sitting the back seat watching you try to keep it together in the front seat, than the usual mild embarrassment that faded after a couple of minutes when he was wrong about something. That was damn near luxurious compared to the painful knot tearing into his stomach.

The silence in the car was so dense and absolute that it almost physically gagged Hizashi and Shouta, the two of them were too afraid to say anything and break it. It felt as though the heavy silence was keeping you from breaking, as if it were applying enough pressure at all sides to keep the thin veneer of composure you were managing together. You felt it too, along with the heavy weight that was nearly crushing your chest, the thick doughy lump clogging your throat and the tremble in your lips. You took a deep breath, it getting caught halfway and freezing in to an unrealized sob that you pushed down.

Shouta huffed and pulled off to the side of the dark country road, slowing into the gravelly shoulder. He turned in his seat to face you, undoing his seat belt so he could fully turn his body. You kept your eyes out the window, trying with all your might not to let the tears that clouded your eyes to fall. You knew you’d need to cry about this, about your parents and their conditional love. You knew that this was something you would need to deal with, but you didn’t want to at this moment. You wanted to go home, take some sleeping medication and go to sleep, you wanted to wait until the open wound in your chest had stopped bleeding to begin treating it.

Your father was being facetious about your living arrangement as usual, whenever he was faced with Shouta and Hizashi his first reaction was to constantly point out that fact that you were a woman living with two men and that if they weren’t gay that one of them should have married you by now. Shouta and Hizashi had taken these comments like water rolling off of a duck’s back, Hizashi even grinned and mumbled something about your father tempting him. You could have kept your mouth shut, you could have kept your cool but Shouta’s hand was brushing against your thigh and you felt it tense into an annoyed fist. Something about Shouta’s minimal reaction lit a fire in you, more like an explosion. It was a surge of very sudden and very ferocious courage that lasted a split second and no longer. You’d practically shouted it, the ringing in your ears drowning whatever words you’d used out.

You were met with complete and utter silence, shock and fear thick in the air. You’d almost believed for a moment that you hadn’t done it, that you’d just shouted randomly and just scared everyone. But then your dad stood up, his shocked open mouth flattening out into a hard straight line, this jaw swelling as he clenched it.

“W-what?” he growled, stepping back from the table as if you were a threat.

You were ready to backtrack, you were so ready to just laugh and pretend you were fucking with him. But you spared a glance to Shouta and Hizashi, their faces pale and guilty. They, regardless of what you could say in an attempt to cover up what you’d just said, were basically admitting to it already. You instinctively shrunk back into your chair like you’d do when you were younger at the dinner table whenever something uncomfortable would come up. You could tell everyone was at a loss for words, the difference was that you were scared and at a loss for words, Shouta and Hizashi were shocked and at a loss for words and your father was steaming angry and at a loss for words.

Your mother, who had always been the least confrontational of the two turned away from you and almost in a show of disgust immediately went to comfort your grandmother. It was as if you were an afront to goodness, an act of moral atrocity being committed in front of them. Your father began to barrage you with passive aggressive questions and accusations towards Shouta and Hizashi. He was trying to understand while at the same time refusing to give you a chance to explain. You stopped listening after the first few sentences that came out of his mouth, falling back into an internal monologue filled with regret. He must have said something exceptionally terrible because in an instant Shouta was standing, his arm reaching out to separate you from him and he was shouting. Shouta never shouted, he barely voiced any form of annoyance or frustration in general when it wasn’t a learning moment for his students, but here he was on his feet volleying harsh word with your father.

Hizashi, you realized was attempting damage control, his hands raised and his voice lower than either of the other two men’s. You blinked back into the present, as noise filled your ears, you mother was crying, your father and Shouta were shouting and Hizashi was rambling panicked. You took a couple of deep breaths and stood up on shaky legs, gripping Shouta’s protective arm for support, and looked your father in the eyes. He faltered at the direct eye contact and you saw an opening where there was less shouting to contend with.

“Stop,” you hissed through gritted teeth. “this is why I never wanted to tell you! Why I was perfectly okay with living away from you guys for the rest- This is why I haven’t been home.”

Your mother gasped a ragged, tear-filled breath. She’d expressed before that she’d wished she could see you more often, that she’s noticed you’d been coming home less and less. You’d been good at covering it up, saying you were busy with work and simply couldn’t get the time off. You knew that what you’d just said hurt her, not in the way it should have. It hurt her because you’d just told them it was their fault that you felt unwelcomed here and not because you were afraid of your own parents.

“How long?” she breathed.

“Three years.” You sniffed, hand tightening around Shouta’s wrist.

“THREE?! THR-” your father bellowed in disbelief. “For three years they’ve been brainwashing and forcing themselves on you?!”

Suddenly you understood why Shouta had leapt up, you had just now caught up with the conversation. Red hot anger flared up in your chest, the mere insinuation that you were being forced in anyway to be with your partners filled you with utter rage.

“No!” You growled, for the first time in your life matching your father’s volume. “For three years they’ve been by my side, showing up at the hospital when I got hurt at work, celebrating my promotions at the agency, helping me make a home that I feel safe in and actually fucking caring about me!”

There was silence again, this one was thin but not light in anyway, like it was a delicate thread barely holding a great weight from falling and crushing you.

“We care for you.” You mother said darkly.

“No,” you swallowed hard, “you haven’t for a long time.”

“Get out.” You father growled.

Hizashi was already moving, grabbing your coats from the back of the chairs and pulling Shouta by the arm away from the table. It took you a good long second to move, even then it was because Shouta latched onto your shoulders and Hizashi tugged him along.

“I’m sorry.” Shouta whispered, his hand finding yours in your lap. You kept your eyes focused out the window at the pitch-black fields with barely visible for off golden dots of light. You couldn’t talk.

You heard Hizashi shuffling around in the back seat, scooting closer to you and his hand joined Shouta’s, pulling up onto the storage compartment between the seats. It was cracking, that veneer.

“It’s not your fault.” Hizashi murmured.

You sniffed hard, biting int you bottom lip. Of course, it wasn’t your fault that your parents didn’t accept you, that you weren’t good enough or right for them, that you weren’t on par with the apparent morality of the rest of the family. It wasn’t your fault that they were backwards people with terrible ideas of how a person should be. It still didn’t hurt any less that you couldn’t meet those backwards ideals, that you couldn’t be the right kind of person for them.

“Y/n,” Shouta whispered, gently grabbing your chin and turning your face towards them.

They were looking at you the way a mother looks at her crying baby in the first few months, the desperate need to connect and nurture glowing in their eyes. They were filled with worry, with pity, with understanding but also, with fear. No doubt, what had just happened had been traumatic for them too. Looking into their emotion filled eyes you felt that veneer shatter, falling away and unleashing that mournful sobbing that had been trapped inside.

Shouta pulled you towards him, holding you firmly to his chest placing his head atop yours. You vaguely felt Hizashi disappear from you for a moment, but you were too preoccupied with the trembling muscles seizing violently in your chest. Then you felt him sliding in behind you, only now realizing he’d stepped out of the car and slide in through your door as he shut it behind him. He draped himself over you rubbing circles into your back.

“It’s not your fault.” He murmured into your hair over and over again.

At first you didn’t really focus on it, thinking it idle words of comfort but the more he said the more it sunk in. The more your realized that you were holding onto the hope that there was something about this, about you, that you could fix. With every repetition of those four words that false hope chipped away and that heavy weight in your chest began to fall away. It was still painful, it still felt like you had a pen festering wound that you’d never fully heal from, but it also felt lighter. It felt as though a burden you’d believed was yours to bear was suddenly the responsibility of the many.

“You don’t have to change,” Shouta whispered softly as your sobs ebbed into weak beaths, “they do.”

That reignited some tears, to hear what you needed to said so plainly. Shouta was good at that, putting those intangible thoughts and feelings into plain words. You cried until the tears and the worry and the late hour caught up with you, until your head felt heavy and waterlogged and you slumped backwards into Hizashi sniffing. You cried until your wavering breaths evened out and your tired mind fell to silence. Hizashi pulled you into his lap and cradled you against him like a parent holding and oversized child, running his hand slowly through your hair.

When you awoke you were swaddled thoroughly with the fuzzy blanket from the couch Shouta hated because it shed and sandwiched between the two men who snored away. As you blinked in the early morning light that just barely peaked through the blinds you noticed the red rims around Hizashi’s eyes and deep-set circles under Shouta’s as if they both been awake all night. Shouta was still in his dress shirt and Hizashi had stripped down to his boxers and pulled his hair back into a sloppy bun. Neither were properly snoring which told they hadn’t been asleep for very long.

You tried to ignore what had happened last night, what had led to the heavy feeling in your head and crusty dry eyes and tight cheeks. You tried to pretend that they had stayed up for work, that they you had swaddled yourself up in the blanket nor because you were sad but because you just wanted to be cozy. Then you heard a phone vibrate on the nightstand and any and all work towards denial washed away as you dreaded checking it. It could just be a work thing, it could be Hizashi’s phone even though he’d never had it on silent even once since you’ve known him. It could have been Shouta’s vibrating against the wooden table even though you could see his slightly peeking out of his back pocket.

You sighed and sat up, daring the smallest of glances at the nightstand. It was your phone screen that was lit up, several notifications on the screen. You groaned and laid back down, scrunching your eyes shut begging for sleep to suddenly and miraculously take you. It buzzed again and you huffed. Fine. You’ll check it. I guess someone could be dying. I do stop that from happening for a living.

You very cautiously crawled over Hizashi and reached to get your phone, electing not to look at it until you settled back between your boys. You scrolled though your notifications, weather, news, a work email, a second email from a contact that made your blood run cold and three missed calls and two answering machine messages from the same contact. Grandma. Your hands trembled at you unlocked your phone and typed int your voicemail password. You held the phone up to you ear and listen to the first message which was more or less just some frustrated grandma noises and mumbles about the inconvenience of technology, followed briefly by a set of hellos. If you hadn’t been ready to shit yourself, you’d have laughed. Then the second played and you had to take a deep breath to hold yourself together enough to keep listening.

“Hello? Hello? Y/n? Oh shi- well this is just ridiculous. Y/n, I don’t know if you can hear me, or maybe this is your answering machine, I don’t know I can’t hear too well but-” her soft worn voice said into the phone, “I want you to know that I love you. Your parents love you too, even if they did not act like it tonight.”

She paused and your eyes welled up with tears, a lump forming in your throat. It was this strange feeling of pure sadness but also happiness and relief.

“Those boys,” she continued, “probably would have killed your father last night if they had the chance. I’m not saying I get it, but they sure do love you, sweetheart. I quite like the blond one he is very-”

The message cut off and the automated voice asked you what you wanted to do with the message. All you could do was laugh, laugh and cry. You were still sad, still in pain, but it was already starting to feel less life-ending.

“Hey,” Shouta mumbled blearily, “S’okay. I’m here.”

He wrapped an arm around you and pulled you close, trying to pull himself from sleep. You hugged him back and massaged the back of his scalp gently.

“Listen to this.” You sniffed.

He nodded and you pressed repeat, listening to the whole second message through again. You watched as a smile spread across his sleepy lips and he laughed softly. He pouted suddenly when it ended, his eyebrows pulling together as much as his drowsy state would let them.

“What?” you asked, worried he’d heard something you‘d missed.

“Why does she like Zash more?” he grumbled, barely awake now.

You smiled and curled into him, electing not to answer knowing that he wouldn’t like being told that Hizashi is more sociable than him. Besides, you smiled to yourself, he’d be asleep in a matter of seconds.

You were still hurt; you still had that big open wound in your chest. But with Shouta and Hizashi at your side you knew you’d heal; you knew they’d give you anything you needed. You knew that your grandmother was right, that these two boys loved you very much.

[yuyupowers]

aristocrat!seonghwa

aristocrat!seonghwa x fem!reader

genre: fluff

trigger warning(s): patriarchal society mostly. let me know if there’s anything else!

author’s note: none of the pictures are mine!!

for reference, i’m using british peerage (hierarchy). there are five ranks: baron, viscount, earl (count), marquess, and duke - the highest being duke, and the lowest, baron.

second son of a duke

i imagine seonghwa to be someone who values tradition

unlike hongjoong who finds who finds the numerous aristocratic mannerisms pointless, hwa believes upholding these (rather stringent) rules is a sign of respect

perfect gentleman pt.1

excellent in swordsmanship, horse-back riding, and hunting

well versed in poetry, literature, art, and finance

(can maintain a conversation about politics but honestly it kinda goes over his head)

a bit on the shyer side, but a decent conversationalist

good at keeping the flow and mediating in case anyone becomes a little too heated about their opinions

definitely cares about his and his family’s image

naturally caring and tends to dote on those close to him

(translates into excellent manners)

holds the door open, offers his hand when stepping out of carriages, makes sure to walk on the side closest to traffic, diverts conversation when things are too “distressing,” wouldn’t be caught dead alone with a woman that wasn’t related to him or his fiancée/wife

and surprise, surprise !!

this is where you come in

you’re the second oldest daughter, fourth child out of six; born to an earl

hwa’s family had the highest title bestowed upon aristocracy

whereas your family accumulated more wealth and land than the park family

and since both you and hwa were prime marrying age™, your parents decided upon a mutually beneficial marriage

the first time you met seonghwa was under the watchful eye of both your parents, when the park’s invited your family for dinner

tbh, you were pretty relieved when you met him

“prime marrying age” was different for men, so you were just glad he wasn’t some old geezer

and he seemed like a decent person !!

a well put together gentleman, and his image was only consolidated throughout dinner

all in all, you didn’t have much to complain about from the initial impression

though it was kinda annoying when your little sister would not shut up about how he was the handsome man she’s ever met

even if you agreed

and didn’t she say that when she met woo?

anyways

after the first meeting with the park’s, both your parents set up multiple occasions for you two to meet

whether that be evening walks, picnics in the park, etc,,,

you learned a great deal about seonghwa 

how his favourite is black, how he loved the stars and that his favourite planet was mars

how he loved kids and doted on your youngest siblings (much to your sister’s glee)

how he enjoyed spending a quiet afternoon with you reading dickens, discussing afterwards the contrast between carton and darnay

how he was always considerate of your feelings and opinions

you liked to think you were a decent judge of character and thought overall that seonghwa was a kind and caring person

but you also noticed a few characteristics that-

you wouldn’t say it was off-putting or anything but,,,

it might bother you in the future

see, you were pretty good friends with hongjoong

and while you weren’t as extreme,

(you didn’t sneak out weekly to hang out with a bar maiden that you definitely did not have a crush on)

you certainly agreed with him on certain points

like hwa, you thought that abiding by certain mannerisms = display of respect

but unlike him, you didn’t care all that much about your image

okay, that was a lie.

you couldn’t say you didn’t care about your image

(social ostracization isn’t exactly fun ya feel)

but you thought it was,,,exhausting

it’s one thing to be respectful, but it’s another thing to say things you don’t mean

to fake humility

to undermine people that are supposed to be your “friends” or “one of you”

to be perfect, when “perfect” was such a subjective term anyways

it just felt so fake and that left a bitter taste in your mouth

even now, you could see all the efforts seonghwa made to constantly keep his image of a “perfect gentleman”

with perfect mannerisms and perfect answers and perfect-

yeah, it kinda frustrated you

not to mention how obedient he was?

of course you didn’t fault him for being a dutiful and filial son, but his loyalty blinded him

and it wasn’t like his parents were bad people !!

no, you’d say they were much kinder than the average noble family

especially considering their status

but when they made important decisions for their son without consulting him,

(because they were more experienced, because they knew better, etc,,,)

and he accepted whatever decision they handed to him?

well,,,

nevertheless, despite being his fiancée, you, by this point, had realistically had known seonghwa for a couple months

and you didn’t feel like it was your place 

(at least not yet)

to point this out

so the two of you continued your cordial but emotionally distant meetings

that is until “the incident” (as hwa fondly likes to call it)

okay, so-

one day you paid hwa a visit and the two of you decided to take a walk in his family’s garden

chattering about this and that

a lovely time !!

it was a bit overcast, but it didn’t look too threatening

so the two of you ignored the clouds looming in the horizon and wandered deep into the garden

big mistake

the weather took a turn for the worst, and soon it was pouring

by this point seonghwa was a little panicked

he knew that for women, getting ready could be excessively long and tenuous task

(courtesy of his little sister’s complaints)

and now !! you were getting rained on !! because he didn’t bring an umbrella !! just in case !!

!!!!

he turns to you, ready to shield you with his jacket and lead you back to the manor

but he’s at a loss by what he sees

he had expected you to be upset, to huddle closer to him, to,,,idk, maybe reprimand him for this thoughtlessness??

but instead, he finds you staring up at the dark sky, eyes shimmering with barely contained glee with the biggest smile he’s ever seen from you adorning your lips

he likes your smile

and if he was already confused (he was), he was about to become even more so

because the next thing he knows, you’re hiking your dress in one hand and grabbing his in the other, running through puddles of water and mud and everything in between, laughter falling from you like the rain

up until this point, you had been acting like the perfect (you hate that word) lady

polite, demure, charming-

in public settings, you only spoke when spoken to, with a voice that was purposely soft and soothing

you chatted with his mother and sisters about traditionally feminine things over tea with impeccable manners

whenever you two met, you were always prim and proper; never a strand of hair out of place

but here you were, getting not only yours but his clothes soggy and muddy, laughing without a care about how pleasant it sounded or how loud it was

seonghwa liked to think he wasn’t a judgemental person-

he wasn’t repulsed or anything by your sudden change in demeanor

just.

really confused

and when you looked back, you could tell,if his expression was anything to go by

but your grin only grew wider, because you could work with this

he wasn’t enjoying himself per say; a bit too confused and bit too stiff to do so

but he wasn’t horrified or disgusted

okay maybe he was a little grossed out; he liked to be clean thank you very much

you could work with this.

and so over the next few months, you showed him things he never dreamed of doing

some of which he liked, some of which he didn’t

some he was willing to try, some, less

like sneaking into the restricted section of the library (he’s never been so scandalized in his life)

or visiting the kitchen in the middle of the night so you could teach him how to make some basic recipes (which he surprisingly enjoyed)

or meeting hongjoong

(“of COURSE it matters if they got the colour wrong?! lord help me you’re the most insufferable person i’ve ever met-”)

and the more the two of you explored, the more he,,,real he became.

and vice versa.

gradually, the mask of perfection he worked so on hard to maintain was slipping before you

don’t get me wrong, he’s still kind and caring and a gentleman

but sometimes he would whine and complain when you encouraged him to do something he was less than enthusiastic about (usually something that involved getting him messy)

or he made The Face™ (the disgusted one) to you and when he didn’t like something or someone

or he would be stupidly stubborn about some random fact that you KNEW was wrong but he just WOULDN’T admit if even when you showed him proof

(“seonghwa for the last time toads don’t give you war-” “LALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU” “eye-”)

once, he even playfully stole the strawberry from your cake

(big mistake. he’s never doing that again. he never knew a woman could move so fast or be so scary.)

it made you so, so happy because the two of you were finally getting to know each other

actually know each other

then one day, while the two of you were reading underneath a tree at the park

“,,,hey love?” (hwa)

“yes?”

“why are we doing this?” 

“what do you mean, dear?”

“i mean,,,i’m not complaining, but i guess,,,why did you decide to show me this part of you? the part that runs around in the rain?” hwa

you don’t reply right away

instead, you shut your book and idly stared at the willow swaying over the pond, wind running its fingers through its drooping leaves

after a few moments of silence

“,,,i wanted to know you and what you believed in. actually believed in.”

seonghwa tilts his head slightly to the side

“love, i hardly think my convictions have changed”

“but do you know what your convictions are?”

and you know when you hear something that resonates with you?

something that strikes deep in your core and makes you rethink everything you’ve know?

yeah,,,this is one of those moments

now it was seonghwa’s turn to set his book aside, falling deep in thought

after an unnaturally long stretch of silence, you began to panic a little

because ?? maybe you misread the situation and got a little too comfortable-

cause i mean you were questioning his core values, which is something he takes very seriously

o god you messed up didn’t you o crap you need to apolog-

“will you help me figure it out?”

“,,,huh??”

“will you help me figure out my convictions?” he asked

and you swear, you’ve never seen such a smile from seonghwa

one that conveyed a plethora of emotions, ranging from honesty and vulnerability, to confusion and loss, to lightness and warmth

it filled you with an unnameable feeling

like something sliding into place, fitting perfectly; like it was always meant to be there, filling you with comfort

shyly intertwining your hands for the first time, you looked up to meet his gaze with a pattering heart and a smile matching his own

“,,,of course.”

[shinylyni]

Doing a lot of thinking about Shang-Chi and the thing I'm thinking about most is, why would the Chinese population in Asian countries (mainly speaking about those in Mainland China, since that's where I hear most of the criticism from, though I've also heard people from HK, TW, and other countries also having issues) be so adverse to this movie, yet the Chinese population who live in other countries, especially the Chinese population in Western countries, seem to love the movie or at least appreciate what it means to them culturally?

And I think it's just that: there's a huge cultural disconnect between the Chinese Diaspora population and the Chinese people who live in Asia.

Let's break some of the issues they have with the movie down (warning: movie spoilers ahead):

The main villain of the movie comes from an offensive stereotype against the Chinese - while the original Mandarin or Fu Manchu characters in the comic books are definitely incredibly offensive, Xu Wenwu is basically a completely different character who only shares a title with the Mandarin character from the comics. Disney and Marvel made sure that Xu Wenwu was a multifaceted, complex character who was not a negative racial stereotype. I'm certain anyone who continues to make this argument now either never saw the movie or is just trying to stir up stuff that doesn't actually exist in the context of the movie.

Simu Liu and Awkwafina are ugly, especially if they're supposed to portray the main characters of the film - beauty is incredibly subjective and differs from culture to culture. Simu's features may be attractive in the west (broad shoulders, cut abs, square jawline, slightly tanned, boyish smile), but to those in China, his features are less than desirable (the ideal guy has a more angular face and softer facial features, thinner frame, paler skin, and more stoic expression/less emotive in general). Awkwafina suffers from similar traits: round faced, tanned skin, fuller lips, and a very husky alto voice, when the ideal woman in China would be thinner cheekbones, pale skin, smaller lips, and a higher-pitched, clear girlish voice.

The movie is too Westernized and doesn't accurately portray Chinese culture - it's flat out just not supposed to. Maybe Ta Lo should be more similar to Historical China, but even then Ta Lo is more of a fantastical place with features inspired from Chinese myths and legends. The other stuff? Straight out of what many Chinese Americans experience every day. Many of the people involved with the story, including the directors, writers, and actors, took inspiration from their own lives to create the story and the background for what the characters go through. The film's culture is not supposed to be Chinese culture as you would see it in China, or Hong Kong, or Taiwan, it's a reflection of Chinese American culture, which is related to but still separate from Chinese culture as experienced in those countries.

The movie's themes are antithetical to Chinese values - This one is tricky. Family and respect are both themes that resonate strongly with Chinese culture, and this film plays heavily into exploring what exactly that means to our characters, both for our protagonists (Shang-Chi, Katy, and Xialing) and our antagonists (Wenwu). But the beauty of this movie is showing the struggle all of them face in reconciling their views and experiences about "family" within themselves, and with each other. The Xu family were all very close until the mother, Ying Li, passed away, a tragedy which tore the family apart. Wenwu harshly trained his son to the point of emotional and physical abuse, while neglecting his daughter, making both of his children distance themselves from him for how he treated them. Shang-Chi and Xialing, however, also have a rocky relationship in the beginning, thanks to Shang-Chi abandoning his sister despite promising to come back for her. Wenwu and Shang-Chi constantly butt heads throughout the movie. But in the end, the siblings make up with each other and support each other, and father and son realize that though they've hurt each other so much, they still love and care about each other and dont actually want to cause more pain, they just dont know how else to reach the other. And is that not how so many families are? A little broken, not perfect, maybe everyone hurting, but in the end you're still trying to do what you can for each other? If that isn't respecting the value of family, then... well, I'm glad you probably have a healthier family life than I did, or many of the people I know did.

TL;DR Chinese people are judging this movie before they even watch it. And if they watch it and still come to these conclusions, well, this movie isn't for you. It's for us, the ABCs you've forgotten about, the bananas you chose to throw out because we weren't authentic enough for you. This is our movie, and sometimes, not everything is about you. But for once, it is about us.

[fedonciadale]

I have read one Ary@ stan saying that Cat negotiation skills suck because how could she allow Ary@ to bethroted to Elmar Frey. When Ned promised Ary@ that he would have king or high lords to marry her while Cat wanted her to marry the youngest child of Frey who unlikely to inherit. I don't think the stan realise that Cat made alliance with Freys because at that time it was important for Robb victory. When Ned told Ary@ about marriage she declined it.

Hi there!

Cat was actually gave very good counsel and Ned and Robb valued her input, as I have argued here.

And Robb and Cat needed Lord Frey and the crossing. Remember that this was before Ned's death, so they were desperate to get an alliance. Walder Frey had the upper hand and he made the most of it.

Ary@ is the second daughter, her marriage is supposed to make an alliance and Robb himself had to agree as well. Of course the Freys were not of the same social standing as Starks and Tullys as great houses. But that was after all the whole point for Walder Frey. To be finally admitted to the highest class. Sometimes marriages were done like that.

Cat and Robb are not completely happy with the outcome but they don't have other options. Not if they want to cross.

The thing is: I think that Ary@ stans completely misinterpret her dialogue with Ned in this passage.

Ary@ cocked her head to one side. "Can I be a king's councillor and build castles and become the High Septon?"

"You," Ned said, kissing her lightly on the brow, "will marry a king and rule his castle, and your sons will be knights and princes and lords and, yes, perhaps even a High Septon."

Ary@ screwed up her face. "No," she said, "that's Sansa." She folded up her right leg and resumed her balancing. Ned sighed and left her there. (AGOT, Eddard V)

How comes Ned is promising Ary@ a marriage to someone? It's a consolation price so to say. They talk about Bran and how he can never be a knight, and Ned says, that he might still become a councillor or a High Septon - which is telling in itself, because it becomes clear that this is less than becoming a King's Guard. Ary@ who learns how to fight (become a knight?) asks if she herself can have this at least. And Ned denies her.

He denies her and tells her that her fulfillment will be in her children. So, it's not even a nice promise. It's like saying. "You can never have this cake, but your children might get that cake." Ughhh, Ned....

And what is Ary@'s reaction?

"That's Sansa!"

No, that's not inverse foreshadowing, that's foreshadowing. Ary@ doesn't want this. She resumes her balancing i.e. the training for her exceptional way. I think it's balancing mercy and revenge, something that will take her time to learn.

And later, when she meets Elmar Frey she is not impressed and thinks he is stupid for wanting to marry a princess. She rejects her father's and her mother's plans for her.

I think it's rather straight forward and easy to interpret, but leave it to Ary@ stans to wish for an ending for their fav that she herself does not want (repeatedly) and something she is even quite sure about not wanting.

Many of her other duties had remained the same, but as she went about them she stumbled over furnishings, walked into walls, dropped trays, got hopelessly helplessly lost inside the temple. Once she almost fell headlong down the steps, but Syrio Forel had taught her balance in another lifetime, when she was the girl called Ary@ , and somehow she recovered and caught herself in time. (ADWD, The Blind Girl)

Did I mention that Justicia, the personification of justice is usually is depicted as blind with scales?

That's Ary@ !

Thanks for the ask!

[themovieblogonline]

Top Ten Movies To Binge On Father’s Day

Father’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate the first man you loved. So bag the weekend with both hands and treat the king of your life with a nice brunch and some (or maybe all) of these movies. Movies have a unique way of bringing people together, sparking conversations, and creating lasting memories. Here’s our list of top films to watch with your dad this Father’s Day. The Pursuit of Happyness Will Smith is coming in with all of the emotions in The Pursuit of Happyness. When Chris loses his job and marriage in the span of a few minutes, he’s left with interning at a brokerage firm, while juggling the sole custody of his son. The movie profoundly depicts the hardships of fatherhood and the unseen side of parenting. You'll be treating your dad extra special after watching this tear-jerker.  Father of the Bride Steve Martin shines as George Banks in Father of the Bride, a comedy that every father can relate to. George’s orderly life turns upside down when his daughter announces her engagement. His overprotective and sometimes hilarious reactions capture the bittersweet moments of letting go. Overprotective dads, this one's for you! Eighth Grade Kayla dreams of being a social butterfly, but it’s not easy, especially because she’s an introvert. Luckily, she has her camera and her internet alter ego to keep her going, right? Well, things are anything but simple in Eighth Grade. The beauty of this film lies in its successful attempt to capture parenthood as one of the most crucial phases of a child's life.  Finding Nemo A father’s determination isn’t something to mess with. That’s Marlin’s motto in Finding Nemo, as he embarks on an unforgettable journey to get his abducted son back home, from the Great Barrier Reef. A little superstitious but mostly loving dad will have your heart in no time. Finding Nemo takes you on a soulful journey where you truly learn the value of family and relationships.  Definitely, Maybe Ryan Reynolds and Abigail Breslin are redefining a father-daughter relationship in Definitely, Maybe. When a father is struck with a quarter-life crisis, his 10-year-old witty daughter decides to get him out of the rut. This adorable duo will steal your heart because Reynolds as a father to a young daughter is nothing less than a treat.  The Godfather Your dad will love The Godfather because it’s a cinematic and nostalgic throwback. Who can say no to Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and the Sicilian mafia out for blood? It’s equal parts gangster and entertaining. Amongst the family politics, one can just enjoy the rich parents’ plot with enigmatic rules.  Fatherhood If you thought that being a single dad is all roses, sunshine, and a gold pot of rainbow, then Fatherhood will give you a much-needed reality check. Fatherhood highlights the ups and inevitable downs of bringing up a child on your own. They just don't make movies like this anymore.  Parenthood   What happens when Gil Buckman tries to find the perfect work-life balance while dealing with three children and their problems? Parenthood hilariously portrays the ups and downs of family life, with Gil facing the realization that they’re expecting another child. This film provides a wonderful take on the chaotic yet rewarding experience of parenthood. Coco Miguel loves music, even though he’s not allowed to belt medleys. When he stumbles upon the Land of the Dead, it’s his golden chance to pursue his dream, while unraveling secrets along the way. Miguel’s urge to find his lost family and discover an unexpected crossover will fill you with all kinds of emotions, making it a perfect watch for Father's Day.  The Game Plan Joe (Dwayne Johnson) has it all: A successful football career, money, and fame. Well, he gets the surprise of his life too, when he finds out that one of his past flings has led to him becoming a father. How will Joe handle a mini version of him? Find out in The Game Plan where one could truly navigate what it's like to be a new father… unexpectedly.  Whether it’s a Father’s Day binge-watching party or a relaxing evening with your life’s true and constant hero, these movies will hit the spot. Happy Watching!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__zihqZZtWA Read the full article