#ambition of class mobility

[teafiend]

Am a fan of the character of 蔣簥 and despite my many issues with the show and its unremarkable writing, am rediscovering the reasons why it left an impression in my mind. Quite a few lessons to be gleaned here.

[ingoodjesst]

one thing i really like about the apothecary diaries is how fluidly maomao moves between high- and low-class society, between the rear palace and the pleasure district, allowing us to see the parallels in the power dynamics. in both settings, we see women trying to make the most of their relative stations with whatever tools available to them, which are often shared. much of the politics of the series centers women and the ways they try to navigate the world through seduction, marriage, beauty, fashion, manipulation, etc, because these are the things they're valued for. their appearance, their social graces, their "purity", their marriageability, their ability to bear children, and beyond - these all lend political, economic, and social leverage to themselves and their families regardless of class.

the mystery angle in particular enables the story to closely examine what tools and motives are available to women in the apothecary diaries in a way that's contextualized and humanized. it's also how the series highlights said women operating with a keen awareness of society's expectations and systems. whether that's applying deathly white powder to maintain impractical beauty standards, faking illnesses to deter certain visitors, using parlor tricks to subtly punish callous men, or wearing ostentatious outfits to hide a certain truth, each mystery we encounter reveals more about what it means to navigate the world of the apothecary diaries as a woman in addition to revealing their cleverness (or lack thereof) in doing so.

maomao is no exception to the rule, often weighing similar questions of propriety and power before she acts - although she does engage from a unique position. she's a literate woman from the lower class with special circumstances surrounding her birth, versed as an apothecary, and favored by highly ranked members of the court. this, plus her marked lack of ambition beyond medicine, gives her a lot of mobility between and (relatively) unbiased insight into both the high- and low-ranked parts of society. in turn, we readers are given a fantastic protagonist to explore what i consider a core draw of the series: seeing how maomao chooses to move through the world, highly conscious of her own social positioning as well as that of all the other women around her

[maxdibert]

Lily. Is she just a popular Petunia? On the surface they’re two sisters that could hardly be more different, the elder unattractive, dull and untalented and the younger beautiful, vivacious and magical. But they both chose domineering upper class bullies. They’re both concerned with social respectability. They both place themselves in physical danger for their sons. And while I can’t see Lily shoving a child in a cupboard, she also seems to operate within the framework that violence is acceptable if she can justify to herself the victim deserves it. Lily gets called a Mary Sue a lot and I get why but I think JKR put just enough in there to make the case that that she’s as grey as her chosen company lol

This take on Lily as a “popular Petunia” gains even more depth when we consider their working-class backgrounds and how each ultimately chooses a partner who offers social mobility—though in questionable ways. Petunia finds security and an upward social shift by marrying Vernon, a man who embodies traditional middle-class respectability with all its rigid, judgmental values. Lily, on the other hand, ends up with James Potter, who, by magical standards, is akin to a wealthy, privileged elite. James’s status, confidence, and the power that comes with his family’s legacy mark a clear jump for Lily in the wizarding social hierarchy, just as Petunia’s life with Vernon marks a leap into conventional middle-class security in the Muggle world.

Both sisters align themselves with men who embody aspects of control and social status within their respective worlds, suggesting they value security and social respectability—even if it means overlooking or accepting certain flaws. Petunia tolerates Vernon’s small-mindedness and cruelty, while Lily accepts James despite his past as a bully and privileged figure. Yet Lily’s decision is often portrayed in a highly idealized way, with Rowling rarely delving into her motivations or background beyond her role as Harry’s mother. This lack of context is perhaps one of the biggest issues with Lily’s character: she’s preserved as an almost saintly maternal figure, untouchable and morally pure, which can feel one-dimensional and even hypocritical, especially when we learn about her past friendship with Snape. Rowling’s reluctance to explore Lily’s complexity leaves her moral standing somewhat hollow, given that she rejects Snape for his darker choices while forgiving James for his own troubling traits.

In the end, both Lily and Petunia are driven by a desire for social respectability and stability, but their different worlds shape those ambitions in distinct ways. By elevating Lily to an untouchable status as Harry’s “perfect” mother, Rowling misses the chance to flesh out the complexities that make her choices relatable, instead framing her as a near-flawless martyr. This leaves her character feeling almost like a “Mary Sue” figure, unable to reconcile the murkiness of her past or the double standards within her relationships.

[foursaints]

Who do you ship Pandora with, if anyone? And how do you imagine her dynamic with said person?

lily, probably!

alright now that we’re hiding under the cut, let’s talk about the secret real answer. this is genuinely a diabolical Hear Me Out & we’re all pinky promising to put our delusion hats on okay….

lowkey…. it’s lucius malfoy 😭 i believe they ruined each other for all other people. it’s a haughty stuck-up social climbing failson & the strange sickly carnivorous girlinventor who haunts his waking dreams and nightmares.

LISTEN!!!! i know i sound completely bonkers but i’m entranced by the idea of a younger lucius (with much less status and wealth before his marriage into the black family), who is much scrappier & angrier & more pathetic & desperate & obsessed with upward class mobility & completely insane. he’s still the Worst, he’s just a lot more pitiful and unhinged and his obsequiousness is genuinely embarrassing.

and then there is pandora, who only has her brother, who turned down the option of being heir to an ancient pureblood house, who is as freakish & uncaring of other’s opinions as anyone can get . who is just as angry as him. and he pisses her off

i think they would hate each other but i also think she would sneak that smarmy slytherin weirdo into the greenhouse & he would kick petulantly at an overturned flowerpot & she might brush his hair back from his face. they would hate each other but he would be disgustingly in love with her (without admitting it) and she’d be surprised whenever he acted like a gentleman. she likes his ambition for political power and he likes hers for invention. i NEED to see lucius tortured with love for a disheveled hippie ravenclaw….

it’s bohemian artist x sleazy politician!!! it’s evilwife x pathetic cringefail husband!!!!! she could fix him (get him to share a blunt with her)!!!! they would never publicly associate with each other of course, but there’s a really combative mutual fondness / fascination there.

they’re coriolanus snow x lucy gray baird variants

[addamvelaryon]

I still can’t believe HOTD turned Addam into a coward. 😐 Instead of the brave boy from the book, who was assertive enough to claim a dragon to prove himself as a Velaryon, we got a joke sequence of Addam running away scared and then laying on the ground cowering before Seasmoke. GRRM is clearly not pleased with the show screwing up the dragonlore. Based off what we see in canon, it’s unwise to show excessive fear in front of dragons as that can be a death sentence. So show!Addam only became a dragonrider by accident, because the plot demanded it, and not because of his own merit.

The scene should’ve been Addam making an active choice to claim Seasmoke for himself. In the book, Addam was described as “relentless” and “determined”. HOTD should’ve portrayed Addam taking matters into his own hands and going out of his way to claim Seasmoke as a way to earn Corlys’ approval. Instead we got Seasmoke randomly dropping on Addam from the sky. Claiming a dragon was the key for the dragonseeds to obtain upwards social mobility and join the ranks of the noble class. That is the reason they all participated in the Red Sowing in the first place. Hugh & Ulf are shown to have motivations for claiming a dragon, but where is Addam’s motivation in the show? Why is he not allowed to actively pursue his ambition to rise higher?

Even after that awful scene of Addam & Seasmoke in episode 6, I thought perhaps HOTD would still let Addam show the same assertive nature of his book counterpart, now that he’s finally become a dragonrider. He would fly to High Tide to confront his father and make Corlys acknowledge him because he’s no longer okay with being ignored. Except in episode 7, Addam continued to be a passive character. He tells Rhaenyra that he had no design on becoming a dragonrider; he’s just very happy to be of service to her.

The book version of Addam was willing to claim the Driftwood Throne for himself, though it meant pushing aside Rhaenyra’s son, Joffrey. During the Fall of King’s Landing, he didn’t just follow the example of the other dragonseeds, but took the initiative to act separately. He also escaped the dragonpit rather than submit to an unlawful arrest. Then he set out to clear his name from the false accusations instead of just sitting around to wait the war out. Fire & Blood consistently portrayed Addam as the type of person who takes control of his life in his own hands, who acts according to his own choices, and not solely what his superiors tell him to do. The only one whose will Addam was beholden to was his (grand)father, Corlys, and that’s because they have mutually aligned interests; it’s through his relationship with Corlys that Addam can connect to his Velaryon side, which is the sole reason he’s involved in the war to begin with. It’s such blatant character assassination for HOTD to portray Addam as a passively obedient figure. Rhaenyra says one word to him and he’s immediately bending the knee. After that, he’s just quietly obeying every order given to him. Alyn tells him to stop dreaming big and so Addam has to downplay himself, and he just goes along with being a passive character. 🙄

The duality between duty and defiance is one of the major themes in Addam’s story. Why bother adapting the character if you’re going to remove half of what defines him as a person?

The show didn’t even include the scene of Addam swiftly saving his little brother from the much larger wild dragon, Sheepstealer (who had already killed plenty of other dragonseeds that appeared before him). Although if that event happened in show canon, I guess Addam would just run away scared again.

[lavendersugarplum]

𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐍 | umbrella academy reader insert

𝕻ʀᴏʟᴏᴜɢᴇ

IN AN INEXPLICABLE WORLDWIDE EVENT, At the same time that "Tusslin' Tom" Gurney defeated the space-squid from Rigel X-9 with a flying atomic elbow in an exhibition wrestling match, on the 12th hour on the first day of October 1989, forty-three children were spontaneously birthed around the world in a seemingly random occurrence, to women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy, most of them single. Most of the children that survived were subsequently abandoned or put up for adoption. The mothers have solemn been known to have have kept the children.

One day, a world renowned scientist and wealthy entrepreneur; Inventor of the The Mobile Umbrella Communicator, and Clever Crisp Cereal. Olympic Gold Medalist and recipient of the Nobel Prize for his work in the ceberal advancement of the chimpanzee. For some reasons unknown, Sir Reginald Hargreeves set out with his bodyguard Abhijat aboard his favorite private vessel, The Minerva. to locate and adopt as many children as possible.

He got seven of them

In the shadowy world of the Umbrella Academy, the children were more than just gifted individuals with extraordinary powers. They were pawns in a game of cosmic proportions, symbols of a higher purpose that extended far beyond their own individuality.

Assigned codenames by their enigmatic and formidable father, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, the children were ranked 00.01 through 00.07 according to their perceived usefulness, their powers and abilities carefully calibrated to meet the needs of a world on the brink of cataclysmic change.

But Hargreeves' plans were shrouded in mystery, his motives obscured by a veil of secrecy that left the children wondering about their true purpose and place in the world.

And so it was that Sir Reginald held a press conference in Stockholm, his face stern and unyielding as he faced a sea of journalists, each one hungry for answers.

"Why have you adopted these children?" asked Cosimo De'Lostrono, a journalist from Milan, his voice ringing out like a challenge in the tense silence of the room.

And yet, Hargreeves' only explanation was a cryptic one, a simple statement that belied the complexity of his plans and the depth of his ambitions. "To save the world," he said, his eyes shining with an intensity that left no doubt as to his commitment to his cause.

Sir Reginald Hargreaves stood before a waiting crowd, his eyes shining with pride and determination. His chest and shoulders were held high, his posture exuding a sense of authority and power that left no doubt as to his dominance.

"Our world is changing," he began, his voice ringing out like a clarion call, the strength and conviction in his words enough to silence the large crowd of people gathered before him. "Has changed. And yet, there are some among us who are gifted with abilities far beyond the ordinary. I have adopted seven such children."

It was a bold statement, one that left the audience stunned and silent, their eyes fixed on the seven baby strollers that stood before them like a symbol of hope and possibility.

Reginald stepped aside, gesturing to the strollers as he introduced his children to the general public

 "I give you the inaugural class of The Umbrella Academy."

No sooner did Sir Reginald Hargreeves punctuatehis sentence, the room was suddenly filled with a cacophony of sound, a parade of questions and queries from the eager crowd of reporters that squabbled at his feet, each one desperate to get a question in.

"Mr. Hargreeves! Mr. Hargreeves!" shouted a reporter from Channel 9 News, her voice rising above the din of the others. "What happened to their parents?"

For a moment, Sir Reginald stood silent, his face inscrutable as he pondered the weight of the question. And then, with a sudden and decisive motion, he answered, his voice ringing out like a bell in the tense silence of the room.

"They were suitably compensated," 

And yet, even as the reporters continued to clamor and shout, each one struggling to be heard above the others, there was a sense of unease in the room, a sense that something profound and mysterious lay hidden beneath the surface of Sir Reginald's words.

And so the reporters continued to shout and clamor, each one desperate for answers, even as Sir Reginald remained silent, his eyes fixed on some distant horizon, his mind lost in thought and contemplation.

"Are you concerned about the welfare of the children?" Asks another woman with her voice laced with concern,  as the other reports had turned to her then back to The Monocle. 

And yet, even as the other reporters waited with bated breath for his response, Sir Reginald answered without hesitation, his voice strong and resolute.

"Of course," he said, his words carrying a sense of conviction. "As I am for the fate of the world."

But from what? To this they had received no answer. A lot of questions and conspiracy theories surged around, with civilians questioning the Monocle's tactics and motives. They wondered what kind of world-saving plan involved adopting seven children and raising them in secrecy, away from the outside world.

And yet, even as the questions and speculation continued to swirl around them, Sir Reginald and the seven children vanished from public view, disappearing into the shadows as they prepared for the fateful day when their powers would be needed the most.

~ ☂︎ ~

The scene was one of ominous foreboding, as the skies overhead grew increasingly tempestuous. A dense cloak of darkness descended upon the land, swallowing up any hint of illumination. The clouds swirled and thickened, heralding the approach of a violent storm. Lightning streaked across the horizon like the merciless tides of a black sea, poised to crush anything in its path. Suddenly, without warning, a deluge of water came crashing down, cascading from the structures, trees, and earth below. The ferocious winds howled and roared, sweeping through the murky, gloomy environment with colossal force. Amidst the chaos, a piercing and booming cry could be heard emanating from the Academy's vintage exterior, a haunting sound that echoed through the tumultuous night.

One may believe that a person who adopts not one, but seven children would have a lot of love and nurturing to provide...

Seven small cots stood in a perfect row within what appeared to be a nursery, though to most it would seem more like a chamber of confinement. The room was devoid of windows and sunlight, illuminated only by a single, dim light at its center. Perhaps this was to keep the babies safe and contained, or maybe it was to ensure the protection of their caretakers. Cameras were scattered about the room, capturing every angle and movement with a scrutinizing gaze. The Monocle, also known as Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and explorer, was meticulously recording his daily observations. Though the babies were not yet of his estimated age for their abilities to manifest, it was never too early to start preparing for the future.

He stood in the nursery, his trusted assistant and friend Pogo, an advanced chimpanzee, by his side. Together they scanned the rows of cots, searching for any signs of extraordinary abilities. Suddenly, a thunderous cry erupted from the seventh cot, reverberating throughout the academy. But the Monocle remained unflappable, his expression stoic as he cradled one of the babies in his arms, examining him with practiced precision. Pogo, meanwhile, tried to ignore the wailing, casting occasional side glances at the seventh cot while attending to the fifth. Yet, as soon as Pogo averted his gaze from the fifth crib, a barely audible sneeze sounded, and the baby from the fifth crib vanished into thin air.

Panic surged through Pogo's body as he frantically scanned the room for the vanished child. He knew all too well the wrath that would befall them if the elder discovered what had transpired. His eyes darted from crib to crib, his feet shuffling with urgency as he searched for any sign of the missing baby. With trembling hands, he sifted through the first six cots, his furry fingers grasping at each one in turn. Finally, he arrived at the last bed, where two babies lay side by side. The cries of the little girl still echoed through the room. But as soon as the boy was placed next to her, the sobs subsided, and the two infants gazed at each other with a sense of wonder and recognition.

Pogo's glassy, deep chimp eyes flickered between the seventh cot and the now-vacant one, his voice heavy with concern. "Master Hargreeves," he began tentatively, "is it not highly unusual to witness a baby abruptly teleport into another crib?" The gravity of the situation weighed heavily upon him, and he awaited the elder's response with bated breath.

"Absolute Nonsense, Pogo. Now what kind of inquir–astonishing!" The Monocle's once cold and unfeeling eyes filled with dignity and pride looking in amazement at the first child who had displayed signs of his abilities. He set down the baby boy who clung onto his body, roughly as forcibly into the crib with '#4'  laminated on the side, not paying any mind, moving to the noisy 7th crib with Pogo taking his place beside him. "I'm sure he's going to be quite the handful as he ages."

"I am painfully aware of the gravity of this matter, but..." The Monocle's words trailed off as he lifted the child from the bustling crib, earning a swift kick from the green-eyed infant. With a small chuckle, he adjusted his monocle and began to examine the baby from head to toe. "This is just... extraordinary," he marveled, his voice filled with wonder. As he gazed upon the child, he could feel a sense of pride swelling within him. "You are truly an extraordinary being," he murmured, his heart full with the knowledge that he had witnessed something truly remarkable. 

The Monocle had just begun to reach for his report book when a sudden rumble and shaking rocked the peacefulness of the Academy. Small particles of debris rained down from the ceiling, causing him to instinctively shield his eyes. Within moments, objects and tools began to levitate into the air, defying the laws of physics and gravity. Pogo's voice rang out, filled with alarm and confusion. "Master Hargreeves, what is happening?!" he cried, his eyes darting around the room in terror.

but they would be wrong. 

The Monocle was too transfixed by the glowing ball of light emanating from cot #7 to register his assistant's panicked question. With cautious steps, he drew nearer, his eyes fixed on the pulsating orb of energy. The room was filled with a sense of otherworldly power, and he could feel the air crackling with electricity.

Sir Reginald Hargreeves was not the most affectionate of fathers. It would be incredible to see the man show anything other than in scorn and pride. Sir Reginald Hargreeves was distant. Soon the children would be treated as experiments. Weapons. Instruments. Bombs. The children were given numbers rather than names, according to the order in which Sir Reginald Hargreeves had procured them. Grace, the children's mother and personal caregiver, insisted on giving them a proper name.

The baby's cries reached a fever pitch, drowning out the harsh rumbling that now shook the cots with greater intensity. Reginald's eyes remained fixed on the seventh bed, his heart racing with anticipation. The glowing ball of light at the center of the infant's being was near-blinding in its brilliance, but he could not look away. As the child continued to wail, he reached up to adjust his falling monocle, his focus unbroken. But just as he was about to raise it to his eye, the room was filled with the sudden slam of a door.

As the door slammed open, his personal bodyguard, Abhijat, appeared in the doorway, a look of urgency etched onto his face. "Abhijat, what is the matter?" the elder inquired, his tone firm and unwavering. He refused to be distracted from his task, even in the face of potential danger. The rumbling had come to a sudden halt at the sound of the door, but he knew that they could not let their guard down too soon. 

"It's ready, sir," Abhijat replied, his voice barely above a whisper. There was a sense of urgency in his tone, and the Monocle knew that they must act quickly if they were to succeed in their mission. With a final glance at the glowing infant, he turned his attention to his loyal bodyguard, trailing off after him.

[cskv11]

Idea: Bill's insistence that free will doesn't exist is just another cope so he doesn't have to take accountability for destroying his dimension

Oh yes, absolutely!

Also, It's also highly likely (and referring to previous posts) that he feels aversion or disgust towards the topic, mainly due to his own personal experience.

If the world of Euclydia bears even the slightest resemblance to Flatland's, then whatever has been sold to society as "free will" would be a complete scam.

Flatland, in itself, is a critique of Victorian England, focusing on the rigidity of the class system that characterized the era.

Society is governed by some kind of hierarchy in which rising up the social ladder is practically impossible, unless you already belong to the highest elites.

The rigidity that exists between social classes makes mobility between them literally impossible.

Within this context, the nature of this hierarchy consumes the lives of the inhabitants to the point where it becomes the center of all their motivations, incapacitating them from having other ambitions. They live by and for this. They oppress the lower classes, and claim violence against the weak is justified. They live by and for this. This is a self-absorbed, narcissistic, and rotten society that cannot see beyond their own selves.

Knowing this, anyone who says that "free will" exists in a society like this is either an ignorant or is just lying.

The number of sides you have decides your place in society, your profession, and every other aspect of your life.

Don’t agree with that? Get ready to be isolated from society, stigmatized, and in the worst case, sentenced to death.

Of course, seeing it this way, Bill was exposed to a society where free will could be considered an optical illusion, so it’s understandable that he firmly believes it doesn’t exist and even mocks it. Bill can’t help but project his problems onto others.

He watches us and sees us as an extension of Euclydia's failed society...

[justforbooks]

Alfa Anderson

American singer best known as a vocalist with the 1970s disco group Chic whose hits included Le Freak

Among the disco goddesses – the Donnas, Glorias, Evelyns, Gwens, Candis and Anitas – who serenaded the dancers of the hedonistic 1970s in such celebrated joints as New York’s Studio 54 and London’s Heaven, it seems likely that only Alfa Anderson’s destiny included leaving show business to resume her studies and eventually become a high school principal.

Anderson, who has died aged 78, had been one of the featured singers with Chic, the high-fashion disco ensemble whose chart-topping hits included Le Freak. Emerging from the ranks of backing singers in the Manhattan recording studios, she had been spotted by Luther Vandross, then a star-to-be, who introduced her in 1977 to the guitarist Nile Rodgers and the bassist Bernard Edwards, Chic’s ambitious young founders and songwriters.

The duo’s ambition was to create an upscale dance music blending funky dancefloor rhythms with the sophisticated style of an English band they much admired, Bryan Ferry’s Roxy Music. By comparison with their disco rivals, Chic were cool and restrained, their musicianship impeccable, their female singers conveying a matching sense of class.

On the sleeve of C’est Chic (1978), their second album, designed to look like the cover of a fashion magazine, it was Anderson who reclined in a white silk blouse and old-gold skirt against an expensive sofa in the garden room of a country house, while the other core members of the group struck suitably soigné poses. The message was unmissable: a dream of upward mobility which their audience was invited to share.

On another of their hits, I Want Your Love (like Le Freak, included in C’est Chic), Anderson took the solo lead, her voice finding a sinuous path between Edwards’s pulsing bass, Tony Thompson’s implacable drums, Rodgers’s flickering rhythm guitar, the cushion of strings, the syncopated trumpet figures and – in a typically imaginative touch – tubular bells prominently doubling the melody on the chorus.

The eldest of four children, Alfa Anderson was born in Augusta, Georgia, and named after the first letter of the Greek alphabet, its spelling varied to match the Christian name of her father, Alfonso Anderson, an employee of the US Postal Service. Her mother, Essie, was a social worker and Girl Scout troop leader.

Interested in music from a very early age, Alfa grew up singing in church and with the Girl Scouts, and learned the saxophone, flute and piccolo at Lucy C Laney high school. A degree in English at Paine College in Augusta was followed by a move to New York, where she settled in Harlem while studying for a master’s degree at the Teachers College at Columbia University and singing in the college choir.

She received her first significant public exposure through a role in Big Man, a play with music by the jazz saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley and based on the legend of the Black railroad worker John Henry. Attending its sole performance at Carnegie Hall in 1976, her churchgoing mother was shocked to discover her daughter singing the part of a “whore” called Maggie.

Her next professional appearance was at Lincoln Center, singing a solo piece called Children of the Fire, written by the trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson as a protest against US involvement in the Vietnam war.

She also appeared on the soundtrack album of the hit musical The Wiz, produced by Quincy Jones.

In the daytime she was teaching at Hunter College, the public university on Park Avenue, New York, and music was still a part-time occupation when she met the founders of Chic. Arriving early at the studio to sing background parts on their first album, she was discovered marking her students’ papers while waiting for the session to start, much to the other musicians’ amusement.

When the lead singer, Norma Jean Wright, left in 1978 to pursue a solo career, Anderson was invited to take her place. Giving her notice to Hunter College, she shared the lead role first with Diva Gray on Le Freak, which became a Studio 54 anthem, and then on the road and in the studio with Luci Martin.

Most memorably, her voice was also featured on At Last I Am Free, a spellbinding ballad tucked away on C’est Chic. It caught the ear of the English rock musician Robert Wyatt, who released his characteristically plaintive version as a single in 1980.

After Chic disbanded in 1983, Anderson toured with Vandross, whose solo career had taken off. Her session work included a contribution to Bryan Ferry’s Slave to Love, a hit single also featuring Rodgers on guitar, its success boosted by its appearance in the 1986 film 9½ Weeks.

While with Vandross she met his bass guitarist, Eluriel “Tinker” (sometimes “Tinkr”) Barfield, who became her husband. Leaving the road and the studios in 1987, she went back to college, taking a second master’s degree, in educational leadership, at Bank Street College of Education, before joining the El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice in Brooklyn, first as a teacher and then as principal.

Although Chic later re-formed with other singers, there were occasional musical reunions with Norma Jean Wright and Luci Martin.

She and her husband also formed a group called Voices of Shalom, which released two albums of spiritual songs, Messages (1999) and Daily Bread (2005). Returning to secular music, in 2013 she released a single, Former First Lady of Chic, and in 2017 Barfield produced her solo album, Music from My Heart, featuring a song titled Perfectly Chic, which precisely recreated the sound of that most exquisite of disco ensembles.

She is survived by her husband and two stepsons.

🔔 Alfa Karlys Anderson, singer, born 7 September 1946; died 17 December 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[neathyingenue]

Character Timeline: Pilar Rodriguez Luna

Pilar's timeline goes along with Angeline's, which you can read here!

1868:

Pilar is born to a working-class mestizo family (European and Mixtec ancestry) in Oaxaca, Mexico. She is assigned male at birth and raised as a boy.

She’s educated at parochial school, where she does well, known for her lively intellect and predisposition for music, dancing, and sculpture.

1896:

Pilar goes to the capital, Mexico City, to study law, but while she’s there, she makes tons of friends in the theater scene. She especially develops a taste for puppetry, inspired by the tradition of carnival and mask folk art which originated from Black and Indigenous Mexicans. She learns craftsmanship from artisans and develops a small following among both lower and upper classes.

1898:

As she ages, Pilar discovers that she feels uncomfortable with manhood, and she attributes this to her attraction for both men and women. She begins incorporating female impersonation in some of her acts, and she has relationships with both men and women.

1899:

Pilar gets more involved in leftist anarchist circles, specifically with the Partido Liberal Mexicano. At this point, she’s making a living performing, including for the ruling elite, but revolutionary messages and themes creep into her shows.

(At this time, Mexico was in a period called the Porfiriato, a dictatorship under Porfirio Diaz. Upper and upwardly-mobile classes were prosperous thanks to Diaz’s laissez-faire policies attracting US investors. But the working and lower classes suffered, especially many Indigenous people in the Yucatan, who were basically enslaved.)

1900:

After a Partido Liberal uprising that the military crushes, one of Pilar’s performances is a little too obvious in its symbolism—a herd of pigs stampedes a jaguar, causing other jaguars to send the pigs to their bloody demise. The next day, soldiers search Pilar’s apartment, and she’s banned from performing further.

Pilar continues to perform in secret, but one of her clandestine performances is raided, too, and she’s arrested. The experience leaves her shaken. Her comrades begin to fear for her life. They make arrangements for her to flee to the United States.

One of the operatives who knows about Pilar’s sexuality confides in her that he’s heard that since London was swallowed into the earth, its attitudes regarding sex and gender have loosened up. There’s also something about a Moonlit Chessboard where it’s possible to tip the scales of power in ways that you can’t do in the waking world. Pilar’s interest is piqued, and she asks if she could be sent as an agent there.

For the arduous journey to London, Pilar “disguises” herself as a woman. Then she arrives in London and just…doesn’t take the disguise off. The only puppet she has left with her is a small marionette of a woman that, secretly, is what she’s always hoped to look like.

1899 (1901):

Pilar has started Neath HRT and begun to learn English. To pay the bills, she goes back to puppetry, experimenting with all the new materials and figures available in the Neath. She spends time at Wilmot’s End, studies the mirrors, finds Parabola and the Chessboard.

1899 (1902):

Pilar’s puppetry career has taken off more than ever. She’s always pushing the boundaries of what she can do with both practical effects and Silverer-ing. But she is notoriously difficult to pin down for fans and the press, earning her the moniker “the Flighty Puppeteer.” Though she doesn’t have many close friends, she’s happy enough.

Then she hears that one of her lovers back in Mexico has been killed, jump-starting her Nemesis ambition. And in her dreams of the chessboard, there’s one Red Bishop who, it seems, plans all her moves not to further the Red cause in general—but to corner Pilar.

[gatheringbones]

[“Our institutions have socialized us to scarcity, creating artificial resource shortages and then normalizing them. For example, because the residents of affluent neighborhoods have been so successful at blocking the construction of new housing in their communities, developers have turned their sights on down-market neighborhoods, where they also meet resistance, often from struggling renters fretting about gentrification.

As this dynamic has repeated itself in cities across America, the debate about addressing the affordable housing crisis and fostering inclusive communities has turned into a debate about gentrification, one pitting low-income families who have stable housing against low-income families who need it. But notice how contrived and weird this is, how our full range of action has been limited by rich homeowners essentially redlining their blocks. Or consider how a scarcity mindset frames so much of our politics, crippling our imaginations and stunting our moral ambitions. How many times have we all heard legislators and academics and pundits begin their remarks with the phrase “In a world of scarce resources…,” as if that state of affairs were self-evident, obvious, as unassailable as natural law, instead of something we’ve fashioned?

The United States lags far behind other advanced countries when it comes to funding public services. In 2019, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and several other Western democracies each raised tax revenues equal to at least 38 percent of their GDPs, while the United States’ total revenues languished at 25 percent. Instead of catching up to our peer nations, we have lavished government benefits on affluent families and refused to prosecute tax dodgers. And then we cry poor when someone proposes a way to spur economic mobility or end hunger? Significantly expanding our collective investment in fighting poverty will cost something. How much it will cost is not a trivial affair. But I would have more patience for concerns about the cost of ending family homelessness if we weren’t spending billions of dollars each year on homeowner tax subsidies, just as I could better stomach concerns over the purported financial burden of establishing a living wage if our largest corporations weren’t pocketing billions each year through tax avoidance. The scarcity mindset shrinks and contorts poverty abolitionism, forcing it to operate within fictitious fiscal constraints. It also pits economic justice against climate justice. When lawmakers have tried to curb pollution and traffic gridlock through congestion pricing, for instance, charging vehicles a fee if they enter busy urban neighborhoods during peak hours, critics have shot down the proposal by claiming it would hit low-income workers in transit deserts the hardest. In many cases, this is true. But it doesn’t have to be. We allow millions to live paycheck to paycheck, then leverage their predicament to justify inaction on other social and environmental issues. Politicians and pundits inform us, using their grown-up voice, that unfortunately we can’t tax gas-guzzling vehicles or transition to green energy or increase the cost of beef because it would harm poor and working-class families. My point isn’t that these tradeoffs aren’t pertinent but that they aren’t inescapable. They are by-products of fabricated scarcity.”]

matthew desmond, from poverty: by america, 2023

[une-sanz-pluis]

The Ambition of Eleanor Cobham

One of the questions I have about Eleanor Cobham is just how much anxieties around her social mobility, her gender, class and sexuality, have impacted the way she was viewed and is now remembered. So Take, for instance, her ambition.

We know she was ambitious because, well, we know. Everyone says so, it must be true. But the idea of her ambition rests on two pieces of evidence. The first is her social mobility itself. That she went from damsel to concubine to wife and duchess. The second is her downfall, the accusations that she had employed witchcraft to bring about the king's death and ensure her rise to to queen.

The first seems to confirm the second, the second the first. But when we separate the two, when we don't automatically assume that Eleanor was ambitious, and look at each incident on their own, then they don't necessarily confirm anything.

Let's start with the witchcraft accusations. I could write thousands upon thousands of words about the accusations themselves so I'll try to be brief. The main accusation against Eleanor and her associates (Roger Bolingbroke, Thomas Southwell, John Hume and Margery Jourdemayne) was that, on Eleanor's instigation, Bolingbroke, with Southwell and Hume assisting, had drawn up Henry VI's nativity chart that predicted he would die soon, unless he managed to avert this future through prudence. They then publicised this prediction, with the intention being that the common people people to withdraw their love from him (apparently, being king was a bit like being Tinkerbelle - if people didn't believe in you, you ceased to exist). The indictments for Bolingbroke, Southwell and Hume suggest that they were imagined to have used demonic assistance to draw up the chart. It's not clear what role Margery Jourdemayne played in this plot.

The accusations against Eleanor also seem to have included love and fertility magic. Eleanor was accused of using love magic to induce Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester to marry her and the marriage was annulled as a result of this idea. It's possibly in this area, not in the necromancy and astrology, that Margery was involved.

The main motivation ascribed to Eleanor throughout is her ambition. Her only motivation mentioned by chroniclers is that she wanted to know to which estate she would come. Which means she wanted to know if she would become queen which means she wanted to become queen which means she wanted Henry VI to die. In short, she was imagined as desiring the death of Henry VI to ensure her rise to the top - and, retrospectively, her status-defying marriage was recast as one of coercion born from her ambition.

There is no real consensus between historians on Eleanor's guilt or innocence of these accusations. It's fairly common to find the idea that she was guilty of "no more than foolishness" or curiosity or fertility magic, and that the idea that the charges were exaggerated or politicised. But there some historians who think she was completely and utterly guilty, and there is no evidence for there being a conspiracy against Eleanor or Humphrey.* There is also an idea that Eleanor was entirely set up, though this is fairly rare to find from historians.

While we can't acquit Eleanor, we can't convict her. Which means there is reason to doubt the accusations against her are proof of her guilt and proof of her character. And even the accusations were true, that she wanted to know when Henry VI would die, her motivations may have been less two-dimensional and more complex than "ambition". Concerns about Henry's health, mental or physical, may have been behind Eleanor's alleged inquiry, as well as insecurity about her position should Henry die and Humphrey succeed him. We certainly can't take her admission of using fertility magic as "proof" of her ambition and treason, as some historians have done. Her society was deeply patriarchal and based on primogeniture, it would be natural for her own to have felt anxiety about her lack of children and try to remedy it. Not long after Humphrey's death, anxiety about the succession would become an open issue, publicly remarked upon, but it seems logical to imagine that this anxiety was present before Humphrey's death and before Eleanor's downfall. Henry VI was unmarried and childless, his heir was an ageing uncle who had no legitimate children. Even if it wasn't openly expressed, the wider ramification of their childlessness would have affected Eleanor. If she and Humphrey had a child, it would have relieved this anxiety. Yes, it would mean she might become the king's mother (assuming she survived the birth, assuming she outlived both Henry VI and Humphrey) but accusing her of callous ambition because she wanted to have a child in the middle of this anxiety seems a very narrow view.

I'd also add that while her admission of using fertility magic seems very reasonable, it may not have been true - she may have cracked under pressure and admitted to it in effort to stop the questioning. She may have attempted to acquit herself of the more serious charges by admitting to something lesser.

At any rate: we cannot take it as a given that the witchcraft accusations were true and we cannot take it as a given that they were proof of her ambition. What they might tell us, instead, that she was perceived in a way that made her vulnerable to such allegations. Whether that perception had any basis in reality is not known or recoverable. In other words, the idea that the accusations "prove" her ambition must remain doubtful.

To move onto the first piece of evidence, the idea that Eleanor married Humphrey out of ambition... this is even harder to be certain of.

That Eleanor made a status-defying match is clear. That she made a meteoric transformation from damsel to concubine to wife to duchess is undeniable. That this would arouse suspicions of ambition and greed - and of witchcraft - is also obvious. But does it actually mean Eleanor was ambitious? That she deliberately seduced Humphrey to rise herself?

It does appear that the idea of a high-status man being seduced, manipulated or bewitched by an ambitious woman of lower-status to fall in love with them was the standard explanation for these matches in the first place. Alice Perrers was accused in Parliament of bewitching Edward III, Katherine Swynford was figured as having bewitched John of Gaunt by chroniclers, Anne Boleyn was accused by her enemies of bewitching Henry VIII (though witchcraft was not a charge laid against her), while Elizabeth Woodville's marriage to Edward IV was sometimes accredited to sorcery performed by herself and her mother, Jacquetta of Luxembourg. All women were presented as ambitious in their witchery. Eleanor's alleged seduction and bewitchment of Humphrey thus fits into a pattern where the women of lower status were figured as overly ambitious and employing witchcraft to seduce a high-status man into loving and potentially marrying them. While most people accept that witchcraft and magic aren't real (or, while "real" to the people who use them, have no real power), these accusations become transformed into proof that these women were beguiling temptresses, raised to rise and/or driven by ambition or a desire for self-aggrandisement, that they used their sexual wiles to manipulate men into loving them.To put it another way: the woman was an ambitious witch-whore and the man her hapless victim, a sexual weakling.

Of course, it's possible that one or more of these women were really ambitious, that they did set out to seduce their lover. But we should be careful to accept the misogynist constructions of medieval and early modern chroniclers and commentators as factual evidence, particularly when we see this same idea presented over and over again.

It's also interesting to note how the idea of any of the women mentioned in the example as "ambitious" loses or gains currency depending on the view of the woman. For example, the idea of the ambitious Katherine Swynford only has currency in Ricardian/Yorkist circles where it is used to denigrate the Tudors' Beaufort heritage; she is more likely to be figured as a romantic heroine than an ambitious upstart. Similarly, the view of Elizabeth Woodville as an ambitious schemer tends to have greater currency amongst those Ricardians who figure her as Richard III's enemy and those who use her as a repository for the misdeeds of Edward IV, while those more sympathetic to her see the story as a misogynist smear. Similarly, Anne Boleyn might be a romantic heroine, victim or a cold-hearted schemer depending on where one's opinions on her lie. For Katherine, Elizabeth and Anne, their status-defying marriages can be construed as proof of romantic intentions. Katherine, in particular, is almost universally rendered a romantic heroine because of her transformation from governess to mistress to duchess.

Neither Eleanor nor Alice appear to have been read as sympathetically, perhaps because the nature of their downfalls seem to confirm the view of them as ambitious upstarts and/or because there is no popular counter-narrative seeking to redeem them. Or perhaps it is the obscurity of their lives outside the misogynist vitriol of chroniclers or the lack of a great dynasty descended from them that makes this negative view of them seem so tempting.

But to view a concubine or a woman marrying up as either a romantic heroine or an ambitious schemer places her in a binary and relegates her to two different stereotypes, both with misogynist elements (reducing a woman down to her romantic life is a form of misogyny). Recent scholarship on medieval mistresses have acknowledged the power dynamic between them and raised the possibility of coercion. In Women in the Medieval Court: Consorts and Concubines, Rebecca Holdorph notes that:

Given the power dynamic, many women and their families would have found it ill-advised or impossible to resist the advances of a nobleman or king. Some families probably encouraged women to acquiesce to a powerful man's demands, whether or not those demands were welcome.

In other words, a woman's ability to consent to the relationship may have been compromised; she may have faced pressure from her family, her lover or from both. I don't say this to mean "every mistress was coerced" but to raise the probability that some mistresses may have limited choices in their relationships. It is impossible to tell when this was the case with Eleanor or, indeed, any mistress; evidence expressing their perspectives on their lover or situation simply does not exist. Ruth Mazo Karras, in Unmarriages, raises the possibility that the union between a concubine and her elite lover could be arranged between the woman's family and her lover similar to how a marriage would be arranged. If so, Eleanor's relationship with Humphrey may have been begun through an agreement between he and her father, than through her own actions.

How Eleanor would explain how and why she entered a relationship with Humphrey and why she married him cannot be recovered. She may well have been ambitious and used her body to rise. She may have felt she had little to no choice, that pressure from her family or from Humphrey was too much to resist. She may have fallen in love with him or felt he was a kindred spirit - they seem to have shared intellectual interests. She may have been motivated by a combination of these reasons or more. In short, the idea that her relationship with Humphrey was borne of her own ambition is unknowable and cannot be "proof" of her character.

There is little evidence for Eleanor's ambition outside these things. In a letter petitioning Eleanor, she is referred to "the right high and full mighty princess and full gracious lady Duchess of Gloucester", but this seems like a more standard address of a high-ranking noblewoman than proof that Eleanor demanded to be referred to in such terms. It might tell us that this was how she was perceived as wanting to be addressed and seen as but it does not tell us if this was something she actually felt and believed.

While Humphrey's manor at Greenwich known as La Pleasaunce was a grand manor house and tower that emphasised his stature and was associated with Eleanor to some degree, it is also clear from Rachel Delman's discussion of Margaret of Anjou's building work at Pleasaunce that the residence as Margaret received it was not grand enough for a queen. Eleanor did not construct and build with Humphrey a home that overemphasised her status or revealed her ambition to be queen..

Basically, the main pieces for evidence for Eleanor's ambition are open to doubt. If Eleanor was innocent of treason and did not want Henry VI dead or if Eleanor married Humphrey for love or for some other motive, then the view of her ambition changes dramatically. In the end, the belief in her ambition becomes a product of circular logic. We know she was ambitious because she seduced Humphrey and attempted to murder Henry VI with magic to become queen. We know she did those things out of ambition because we know she was ambitious. We know she was ambitious because---

And the view of her ambition is a stereotype. Most people desire to improve their standing in life, few do it such two dimensional, caricaturing ways. The real Eleanor, even if she was driven by ambition, was probably more complicated than the cold-hearted, scheming seductress she is usually presented as. The (unevidenced) claim that she was "raised to rise" may well be a story of a girl and woman who was exploited and pimped out by her family seeking to find security. The view of her callously trying to determine when Henry VI would die may well have been a desperate move by a woman who felt threatened by her husband's enemies and seeking to gain a powerful position from which she, not they, would have power. This all builds off the idea that the accusations were true and that she was ambitious, clearly - but attempting to give her more complexity than "she's an evil ambitious witch". She may well have been moved by love and a desire for children, not ambition at all. The point is: she could have been anything.

*The idea that Eleanor was completely guilty and there is no evidence of a politicised attack has become quite a common pattern amongst historians writing revisionist histories of 15th century figures who are known as Humphrey's adversaries, namely the Beauforts and William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk. Most also treat Humphrey very harshly, and in these cases it is clear that Eleanor is treated as no more than an extension of him.

[remus-poopin]

Question for the brit’sh folks: I was thinking about hogwart houses and their value systems and about how JK shows her bias towards these value systems. She holds Gryffindor values in very high regard but seems to look down on Slytherin. One of her biggest issues seems to be that of the ambition trait. Ambition is almost always portrayed as a negative quality to the point that those who aren’t even in Slytherin with this trait are treated quite poorly by the narrative (Percy you deserve better).

I’ll admit right now that I don’t truly understand the class system in the UK. (I’ve found myself asking “wait what jobs do the Malfoys and Blacks even have? Where is this money coming from” And then I have to remind myself that they’re old money aristocrats types). I’ve made attempts to get it but I’m still a bit perplexed. So as an American reader some things in the series completely went over my head and I’ve had to have them be pointed out for me to even notice them (thank you Snape meta writers!).

As an American reader it is a little strange that ambition is held in such contempt in this series. The whole thing about America is to try to do better than your parents did, to move up in life, to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and achieve that American dream! So when you start analyzing the series with that perspective it is a bit puzzling.

So I guess my questions are: Is JKR’s aversion to ambition a “her problem” or is this a general view that the British class structure encourages. Or to put it a different way, does British society look down upon upwards economic mobility? And if so what are other ways this is reflected in the series?

For a more general question: Is the idea of the American dream in contrast with traditional British values? If so, what do these culture clashes look like?

(Also I’m not asking if you personally as a British citizen have a problem with ambition but more trying to understand UK culture and society)

[actiongrrl]

|| Family Matters

-- Sam's immediate family consists of her dad, her mom, and her brother (Plus pets Rudy, and Rin Tin Tin). However, that is not her living situation. When she was about 12, her parents divorced and Sam chose to live with her dad and brother. Her mom relocated to Malibu, while her dad moved to Topanga. Overall, she has a good relationship with all of them- Despite being more similar to some than others.

-- Scott Giddings is a Professor of Sociology at UCLA, teaching Spirituality & Social Justice classes (A Plus as she gets a tuition discount going to Berkeley). If Sam had to pick a parent that she took after the most, it was certainly her dad. While her dad borders hippie, Sam tends to just have feet in the 'Crunchy' side of the ranking. Upon a quick observation, it's not hard to see that Sam takes after Scott in ideals, interests, love of nature, Vegetarianism, etc. And speaking of interests! Scott used to be quite an accomplished boulderer and taught Sam everything he knew. However, an accident that injured his lower back and hip ended that hobby early. Sam was 13 and quickly had to grow up and mature to learn something about care giving. His injury left him reliant on mobility aids (Cane and a wheelchair depending on pain and mobility level that day). In order to help his independence, Scott has a service dog named Rin Tin Tin (Or Rinny) to help him with certain tasks. Certified Good Boy.

-- Angela Masters is a financial analyst in Malibu and LA. Sam often describes her mother as a ‘Finance Bro’, with how dedicated she is. While she loves her mother, Sam did often say that Angela should have had adult children out of the womb. They got along well enough, but her mom was always the type to throw herself in her work and was dedicated to it. The dedication to climbing the corporate ladder didn’t really leave her mom with very nurturing tendencies. But as Sam has gotten older, she’s appreciated her mom more, seeing as the woman’s ambition directly benefits herself and her brother. Though, when she was younger, the differences in personality tended to leave the two at odds.

-- Cody Giddings is Sam’s brother, and her senior by about 3 years. When they were younger they did tend to torment each other but grew closer after their dad’s accident. Sam looked up to Cody a lot and still does. She wishes that she was as easy going and unbothered as her brother (Or, more accurately, as unbothered as he seems). When not at school and helping out their dad you can find him surfing at all sorts of Southern California beaches. He also hikes, swims, and plays soccer still, usually to help Sam practice. However he’s a nice mix of both his parents, definitely leaning crunchy himself, but going to school for Accounting at Angela’s urging (Combining his math abilities with financial security).

Fun Facts;

Scott and Cody gave Sam her nickname of ‘Bird’ because she would flit about with energy when she was younger.

Sam’s hair is naturally curly but she doesn’t like it (She, in fact, doesn’t know how to take care of curly hair) so Angela would help sam curl her hair with a curling iron every day until Sam started doing it herself

Angela’s best friends are actually Chris’ parents

Cody makes fun of Sam for dating the ‘Class Prez’ but he likes Mike.

[floatingcatacombs]

Bandai Taketh Away

12 Days of Aniblogging 2023, Day 1

Last year I wrote a post extolling the virtues of Birdie Wing, 2022’s breakthrough “how the fuck did this get made” mafia golf campfest. It’s the little show that could, animated on a shoestring budget to an audience of maybe two dozen extremely online yuri fans who tried their hardest to get literally anyone else to watch it.

It was almost certainly a financial failure for Bandai Namco, whose hopes for kicking off a VR-focused franchise fizzled in real time during season 1. But the resulting anime was a blast, a shoujo sports melodrama where literally anything could happen.

Birdie Wing took a few seasons off between its cours, during which Bandai Namco’s second lesbian anime of the year began airing: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. My jaw dropped as I watched the first episode recreate Utena’s setup beat for beat, including the female main character taking another girl as her fiancé. It’s a gutsy move which set my expectations high. G-Witch was my introduction to Gundam, and the highs of the first season were amazing. Even if I had some occasional complaints with the pacing, the cliffhanger ending and narrative ambition left me very excited for more.  

Season 2 of Birdie Wing was set to fill the gap between cours of G-Witch, but ~something~ happened behind the scenes. It ended up being delayed to Spring 2023, where the two shows would air together. Great! That means double the lesbians. Or…zero?

Fair warning: From here on out I will be both a hater, and a spoiler.

Both seasons start without a hitch. G-Witch finally pops the safety bubble of its setting, with a terrorist attack on the academy followed up by an episode from the viewpoint of Dawn of Fold soldiers trying to survive a retaliatory crackdown from the Spacians. It pulled no punches with its violence and war orphans and trauma, a good sign for the struggles that awaited the main cast. Meanwhile, Birdie Wing continued to pay tribute to old-school Class S after its boarding school arc by involving its cast in a nightmare incest soap opera concerning Eve and Aoi’s parentage and the sins of the previous generation. Both are great developments for their respective shows, suggesting plenty of good stuff ahead.

Unfortunately, this is when both of these shows begin to fall apart. Eve and Aoi manage to beat the incest allegations, but afterwards their relationship just…stops. Their chemistry all but dissipates, the homoerotic rivalry giving way to their personal relationships with golf instead of with each other. The plot keeps the two of them apart as much as possible, devoid of the angsty longing from season 1, as the girls each succumb to a different form of golf cancer (even without the gay-baiting, at least Birdie Wing is still insane).

For G-Witch, a much more ambitious anime, this decline manifests as a creeping realization that they’re simply going to drop most of the open plot threads. The show takes its sweet time, even as it becomes clear that it’s barreling towards a finale at 24 episodes. The long-awaited plot twists are handled fine, I guess. But any sense that the show is aiming for greatness fades away, as it simply tries to drag itself to the finish line, buckling under its own weight. What we see on screen is what we get, and you’ll have to fill in the blanks yourself to really be happy. The Earthian-Spacian conflict ends up as mere set-dressing, and characters who clearly had intertwined backstories never even get the chance to interact. The obvious examples are the man who killed Suletta’s dad in the prologue resurfacing and that never really coming up, and everything to do with Chuchu and Nika’s backstories. I’m not here to nitpick, but it’s a shame that everyone’s characterization is left so thin. G-Witch really feels like it was meant to be a full 50-episode series, and I’m led to believe that this trimming down happened during production, as there’s just no other reason to set so much up without resolving it.

At last we reach each show's conclusion. Birdie Wing is saddled with a final arc full of professional tournaments, which is always going to be weaker than the dirty mafia golf on a conceptual level. The timeline begins to rapidly accelerate and suddenly we’re skipping ahead months, and then entire years. We don’t get to see most of Eve and Aoi’s final game, or even the period of time where they reconcile. An enduring friendship and rivalry is implied at the end, but it’s nowhere near the mutual obsession that the prior season depicted. Not an ounce of queerbait remains, even for the terminally yurigoggled such as myself.

Meanwhile, G-Witch dedicates some of its precious final minutes to a fight with Lauda (Jesus Christ is the Schwartzette is wasted on him), and just like Birdie Wing the two girls at the heart of the show barely get any time together as the end draws near. They ultimately opt for a Macross-Symphogear ending in which Suletta pilots a Gundam that shoots gay rainbow lasers and defeats her mom with the power of love and friendship. That’s fine! But that’s the ending for a show that didn’t happen! In its last act G-Witch retreats into its shell, unable to commit to the moral weight of the world it had built up. Laughably, the epilogue time-skips to a neoliberal utopia where Miorine solves the earth-space conflict through her sheer girlboss acumen. Suletta and Miorine’s gay wedding is implied at best, and an after-credits message states that this is the conclusion of The Witch from Mercury as a story, prematurely killing any potential follow-up.

The rest is history. Kadokawa redacts an interview to remove references to Suletta and Miorine being married, Bandai releases a statement that their status at the end of the show should be left up to interpretation, and everyone is mad forever.

What happened? Both of these shows fell apart at the same time, and both in a manner that defused their implicit queerness. Birdie Wing was always a bit of a trainwreck even at its best, so in a vacuum I would have just concluded that the production ran out of steam, unable to live up to its earlier writing. But the timing of Season 2’s delay, combined with the corporate meddling that affected G-Witch, makes me downright conspiratorial. Something went down at Bandai Namco, and it led to them ordering their productions be revised halfway through to scrub out all the gay shit and play things safe. I wouldn’t be surprised if this occurred at the same time as G-Witch was trimmed down from its initial 50 to 24 episodes with no chance of a continuation. It’s also not too much of a stretch to imagine Birdie Wing receiving a “stick to sports" mandate and Yosuke Kuroda subsequently phoning it in. I don't know how else to say it: there's no reason to do an incest fakeout if you're not even going to follow up on it afterwards once you've gone through the difficult work of exonerating them.

Witch from Mercury was a commercial success (it sold a shitton of gunpla, at least!) so it seems like a surprise that Bandai Namco would clamp down creatively in such a destructive way. Or maybe not. This may be the first female-led Gundam, but in a lot of other ways it’s fairly restrained as far as Gundams go. Perhaps BN decided that G-Witch had to be a balancing act to please everyone, preventing the creative staff from truly swinging for the fences in the end. Of course, that backfired horribly and they ended up pissing off himejoshis and regular mecha fans alike. I know it’s something of a fool’s errand to expect undeniable LGBT representation from anime, but when you begin with an explicit Utena homage, I expect better.

This has all been a bit of a downer, so I wanted to end things by sharing the anime I watched this year that actually gave me what I wanted out of those two shows.

Watching through the original Mobile Suit Gundam made me realize just how conservative G-Witch is in a lot of its storytelling. 0079 is a deeply radical show for its time, and still would be if you made it today. The unhesitating depiction of war and death through the aesthetics of a 70’s children’s show is particularly bold, and even the parts of the anime notorious for being overlong successfully reinforce the overall mood of the work. Amuro’s transformation from innocent child to unrelenting psychic soldier is as inevitable and upsetting as it should be, and even with all the “filler” the script feels much tighter than the G-Witch, which ambles around with side stories that don’t resolve and characters that don’t go anywhere. Imminently watchable. I love that the mommy issues in Gundam go all the way back, and I'm also starting to understand why you fuckers have been arguing about Char Aznable for 40 years.

you.

I also watched Kakegurui this year, which served as a great alternative to Birdie Wing. It doubles down on the best parts of that show – mostly-female cast, high stakes gambling, dubious lesbian rep – with an all-consuming sleaze to it. Grab some friends who aren't easily scandalized and try not to worry too hard about gaze or the intended audience, and it will be a hoot. The production values are great, even if most of it inevitably goes to girls making upsetting faces. The first opening in particular is an animation highlight. Of course, this is a MAPPA production, so they’re far too busy flaying their workers alive in the pits of hell to ever get around to another season. May their company unionize or perish.

[vinsmokewife]

misery / chapter one

Sequel to Who Is This Person Nine months after the catfishing incident and Sanji still can't catch a break. After a major arguement with Zoro on the night of his birthday, Zoro breaks it off entirely claiming to have found someone new. Sanji moves on and meets Charlotte Pudding, a popular food infulencer, whom he develops a superficial but pleasant relationship with. However, news gets around that Zoro goes missing and Sanji can't help but dig into what happened. read on ao3

authors note: Well shit. After my much-needed hiatus, I am back with a sequel to Who Is This Person? Sorry for the delay in this story, I tend to have a relationship with One Piece where I binge 200 episodes then don’t watch it for a year. A lot has happened recently. I had a mental breakdown, it was incredibly suicidal and I'm currently in recovery from that. The Counseller I'm seeing while I’m waiting for a diagnosis said I should go back to writing fanfiction (as my last happy period was when I started this account) I was also really into JJK for a while but I’m dwindling back into One Piece. Sorry, this is who I am XD Anyway, all that aside, I’m so excited to be working on this story again. I really enjoyed writing Who Is This Person so I’m here to give you all Misery.

The buzzing of his phone brought Sanji into alertness. He had been pulling an all nighter studying for his exams and only the incessant beeping of his mobile device could bring him out of it. He looked at the clock seeing that it was two in the afternoon. He had slept in quite significantly. 

A lot had happened since the so called ‘Zoey incident’. That was nearly a year ago now. Nine months exactly. In the aftermath, Sanji tried to move on with his life. He had a renewed sense of vigor about his ambitions and wanted to climb higher. Sanji had been nonstop pestering Zeff about being made a sous chef. See, he was fine with just being a regular chef, but he saw himself aiming a bit higher. Zeff...as always said no. The old man never directly said any of this, but he didn’t want Sanji to become tied down the Baratie. Again, Zeff never said this but always seemed to push Sanji to explore more options. He wanted him to aim higher than being here.  

Culinary School seemed like the next step which...had kept him busy. Enrolling had kept him busy. Classes, assignments and then the practical tests seemed to consume his time more than working at the Baratie ever had. He sometimes almost forgot about nine months ago. 

Almost 

It took Sanji a few moments to wake up fully as he sat up in his bedroom. He still lived in the same place. He looked out of the window from where he was sitting. He didn’t intend on leaving his room today. But once he felt ready to see the message, he grabbed his yawn and with a big yawn and a stretch, he was ready to open the message. It was from Luffy. It had been a few days since he had seen Luffy.  He hadn’t been working nights, so he didn’t even get to see Luffy that way. Every now and then, Luffy will send messages begging for Sanji to close so he can come and take the food he used to almost a year ago. 

L: SANJI 

L: ANSWER ME 

L: angryface angryface 

L: WHERE ARE YOU? 

And the rest of the messages were angry gifs and angry faces. Sanji watched them roll in. It seemed that Luffy had been trying to get a hold of him. It wasn’t long before Sanji replied. 

S: Sorry I was asleep. 

S: What do you want? 

L: LMAO were you sleeping during the day? 

S: Some of us are busy and work.  

L: I WORK 

S: Bothering Shanks at his job doesn’t count as work. 

L: > : ( 

S: Okay. What did you message me for? 

L: I need you at the Baratie! Tonight. 7. 

S: I’m not working at 7 just for you to get freebies. 

L: No no as like a not work thing? 

L: YOU DON’T NEED TO WORK. 

L Is what I’m tryingt o say 

L: *trying to say* 

L SANJI IT’S SO IMPORTANT PLEASE COME AT 7. 

Sanji frowned, rubbing his eyes of the sleep that was still there. What did Luffy have to message him about a surprise for. He didn’t respond just yet. He stretched his muscles feeling all the tension in his back from sitting at the desk all night. Then, he replied. 

S: Fine. I’ll be there. 

Sanji tossed his phone to the side and then stood up. He shook off the remnants of sleep. Seeing as his plans of lazing were finished, he decided to have a shower. Just a quick shower before getting stressed and going into the kitchen where he made himself a strong cup of coffee. As the coffee machine hummed and the smell of Arabic coffee roamed in the kitchen, his mind began to drift as it often did when he was alone. 

Zeff was right. He often was about these things. Going to school had broadened his horizons.  It challenged him on the way he thought about food. It had been good for him.  

However, his mind often went back to one person and no matter how much he tried to forget, he still thought about him.  

He made his cup of coffee and sat down at the table. 

Zoro. Even just thinking about him made his stomach turn. Zoro and he had been incredibly rocky recently. From the outside, it looked as if Sanji and Zoro got on a lot more than they used to. They hung out alone. They went out for dinner. They would go home and hook up then Zoro would leave. However, Sanji still held him at arm's length. Any attempt Zoro made at deepening their relationship was batted away. Sanji didn’t want to deepen their relationship. They were friends with benefits and nothing more.  

As much as he tried to, Sanji found it difficult to move past what happened. Nine months later. Sanji gripped his cup as resentment and confusion pinged inside of him. He took a long sip of his coffee as he felt brewed. As much as he tried to shake these thoughts, they always go back to the same thing. It bothered him – the fact that Zoro seemed to take up so much space in his mind.  Not even his exams took up this much space. The boundaries had been made clear; at least that was what Sanji told himself anyway. They were just friends with benefits. A little friendlier than before. A lot more complicated. The lines blurred in a way that Sanji couldn’t control. He hated it. Truely and utterly hated it. 

Nine months. Nine months really should have been enough time to move on. However, whenever he closed his eyes at night. All he saw was Zoro. 

With a frustrated sigh, Sanji put his cup on the table a little too forcefully, the clatter of porcelain and the glass table jarring him out of his thoughts. He needed to clear his head. Thinking about Zoro wasn’t helping. He had to figure out why Luffy was insistent on meeting up tonight but if he knew Luffy, it would be chaos which was very much a welcomed distraction. 

As the day went on, Sanji decided to push the thoughts away and not acknowledge them anymore. He instead focused on trying to play a guessing game about what Luffy is planning. He laid out an outfit, opting into going for something that is casual but put together. After all, this was his home turf, the Baratie, even if he wasn’t working tonight. Old habits die hard. 

As the day went on, the idea of Luffy planning a surprise took up his mind and he wasn’t thinking about Zoro anymore. It could be something endearing to outright disastrous, both ends of the spectrum Sanji had experienced time after another. By the time the evening rolled around, Sanji made his way down the stairs and there he was, standing in front of the restaurant. He pushed the doors open and noticed the quiet atmosphere. The evening rush had obviously not happened yet...which was weird for it being 7. He looked towards the kitchen and seen Zeff there, barking orders at the other chefs with his usual gruff demeanor.  

“Oi. Old man,” Sanji called out as he looked through into the kitchen. Zeff glanced up, a brief look of surprise but then went to his usual gruff nature. 

“Thought you were taking the night off, eggplant?”  

“I was. Luffy said I needed to come by 7,” Sanji said, leaning against the counter. 

“Oh. If it’s Luffy you are looking for, he’s around the corner,”  

Sanji nodded before continuing to go around that way. However, once he got around the corner, he was meant by thunderous yelling.  

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY” 

Oh yeah. It was his birthday today.  

He was so busy with school that he must have...forgot. No, he didn’t forget. Who forgot their birthday? No, he just wanted to wait until he was a little less busy to celebrate his birthday. So, up till this point, he didn’t make too much of a big deal about it. He didn’t know how this translated into him getting a surprise birthday. 

Sanji’s eyes scanned his friends. Nami, Usopp, Robin, Franky and of course, Luffy standing there. Luffy was grinning widely and bouncing with his usual excitement. A large cake decorated with bright icing. He recognized the cake; he had seen Zeff making it, but he had insisted it was an order for someone else. So, Zeff was also in on it. Huh. 

“Luffy...” Sanji looked away, trying not so subtly to mask his embarrassment. When he looked elsewhere, he was Zoro. He was drinking a beer, as always. The sight of him made Sanji’s heart do weird shit so he looked back at Luffy, “You know I didn’t want to celebrate until I finished my exams...” 

“Nonsense!” Luffy said, grabbing Sanji by the arm and pulling him towards his friends, “Everyone needs to celebrate their birthday properly,” 

Sanji was pulled over to the table by Luffy who was determined to make sure that Sanji enjoyed his birthday with his friends surrounding him. 

“You didn’t have to go all out,” 

“This isn’t all out.” Luffy waved off his concerns with an infectious laughter. 

Sanji couldn’t help but smile at Luffy’s infectious energy. He glanced at Zoro, still drinking beer pretending he was too cool for his birthday party.  

Luffy’s excitement was appreciated though. He took a seat between Robin and Usopp. The cake was nearby. He couldn’t help but appreciate the effort. 

“Still, you didn’t have to-” 

“It’s not all out,” Luffy insisted with a grin, his eyes sparkling with that usual excitement. “We wanted to do something nice for you. Nami and Zoro helped quite a bit,” 

Once again, his gaze went back to Zoro who was now avoiding his gaze. The mention of Zoro helping plan this seemed to catch Sanji off guard. He had to wonder how much Zoro contributed to the arrangement of this part. It made his chest feel rather tight which...was problematic to say the least. 

He could not. He could not let his emotions ruin the night. 

“I find it hard to believe that Zoro actually helped...” Sanji rolled his eyes, sitting back in his chair trying to give off an impression that he didn’t care, “It actually is thoughtful which makes me doubt it,” 

Zoro shot him a look, still nursing his bear as his scowl deepened, “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” He muttered, although looking closely there could have been something of the smallest hint of a small very small smile, something soft that almost felt like fondness. 

Even if Sanji tried to be indifferent, his mind felt like it was racing. Honestly, he didn’t know why but inside it felt like it pissed him off. These little, small meaningful gestures made it incredibly hard for Sanji to separate himself from Zoro. It made it easier to...forget about what happened. Sometimes, it felt like he could maybe ease up around Zoro. 

Maybe...just maybe. 

“Maybe next time, stick to what you are good at,” Sanji shook his head, “You know, heavy lifting and lack of direction,”  

In front of everyone, their banter felt normal. It felt like things had never changed. It felt as if they had just moved on from their lives. However, Sanji felt a weird edge right now. Tension with unresolved feelings between them as he tries to still be indifferent. 

Luffy, obviously oblivious to everything that was going on, laughed, “You two never change!” He said before grabbing another slice of cake. “But hey! At least the gang is here!” 

Breaking eye contact with Zoro, his attention was back on Luffy. Luffy was right. This was a nice gesture from all three of them. It would be a shame to have it ruined by his own racing mind. He looked at Zoro who avoided his eyes. 

“Yeah, you are right,” Sanji smiled, “I appreciate it...thank you,” 

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of laughter, jokes and the comfort of being surrounded by friends. What Sanji didn’t know was that Zeff had closed the whole restaurant so that they could focus on Sanji’s surprise party. Amazing food came out as well as drinks and desserts. Luffy definitely had his fair share of food and Zoro had his fair share of drinks. 

When desserts came out, Sanji excused himself and went outside. He needed to...collect his thoughts. He needed to think about things outside. When he was outside, he sat on the step of the door and lit up a cigarette. He was lost in his thoughts outside when the door opened. 

“Are you okay?”  

Thankfully, it wasn’t Zoro. It was Robin. Sanji exhaled a long plume of smoke. The orange glow of his cigarette lit up his face in the darkness. He didn’t immediately respond. He just let the silence speak for itself. Robin was...for better or worse, incredibly perceptive. She always had been. Sanji had heard that Robin had been...somewhat involved in the club that Zoro frequented...or used to.  

“Yeah,” He said, although he wasn’t sure if he believed that and his voice lacked the conviction for her to believe him too, “Just needed a breather...” 

Robin didn’t say anything immediately, but she did sit next to him. She allowed him another puff of his cigarette before speaking. 

“It’s okay to feel overwhelmed, Sanji,” She said, her voice understanding but cautious as she didn’t wish to overstep, “Especially on nights like this. Birthdays can be...a time of reflection,” 

Sanji took another drag as he watched the smoke curled into the night air, “I guess. I’m certainly in a reflective mood tonight,” 

Robin nodded as she watched the smoke dissipate into the night air, “It’s understandable,” She said as her tone was gentle, “A lot has happened recently. It’s only human to be affected by what happened,” 

Sanji shook his head with a very bitter chuckle, “I thought I moved on. I feel terrible... Luffy, Nami and... Zoro put a lot of effort into this and I... well, can’t help but think about things,” 

Robin decided to let him talk rather than inject her own thoughts as her hands rested on her lap, looking out into the air. Her presence felt...so warming that he couldn’t help but talking even more. 

“It’s like...you know, I tell myself that it doesn’t matter. I’m better off just focusing on my career and future but then,” Sanji gestured animatedly in the direction of the restaurant, “Zoro does something...stupidly kind... and I feel like those walls I’m trying to build up around him just...”  

He realizes how it sounds and retracts slightly. Robin didn’t need to know every single detail of what was going on. He retracts and takes another puff of smoke, feeling even more bitter than he had done. 

“It’s clear that Zoro has some sort of effect on you. It’s not easy to let events go...” Robin responded. 

Sanji frowned. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He wanted her to call him a jerk but then again, that wasn’t like Robin. Robin was...perspective.  

“Nine months. I’m still stuck,” 

Robin turned her head slightly, “Moving on isn’t a linear process. Sometimes, it’s two steps forward and one step back,” 

Sanji let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair. “But I don’t want to have these feelings. Zoro did the worst thing he could have done to be me ever and I can’t let it go. I just...want to let it go...” He clenched his fists, the frustration and bitterness simmering inside, “I hate him. I really really hate him but sometimes I don’t,” There was a beat of silence before Robin spoke up. 

“Then, you need to talk to him about it. Make those boundaries clear or forgive him. Either way, holding onto it and hoping that it will go away, will only hurt yourself,” 

His jaw tightened. He wanted to reject her advice and brush her off. He had gone for the past nine months without talking to him about it, but he knew that she was right. Holding onto this anger, this bitterness and it was bothering him. The truth was sinking in. Maybe it was time to decide. The thought made his stomach do funny things, but Robin was right; he couldn’t keep running from it forever. He had to face this head on. 

“Thank you, Robin,” His voice softer, more sincere than it had been before, “I’ll think about what you’ve said,” 

She gave a small nod before standing up. 

“One step at a time,”  

Sanji watched her get up and go back inside. Despite her being gone, her words echoed in his mind. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do now but for the first time in these past nine months, he felt like he had direction...he knew what he had to do. 

He took the final drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out. With a deep breath, he stood up and turned back towards the door. The night was still young. His journey was not yet over, and it was like Robin said... 

One step at a time. 

- 

The night went on for a couple more hours, nearly approaching midnight.  Everyone had a great time. The evening continued with laughter and conversation. Thankfully, Sanji’s mind felt more at ease as he joined the rest. Even if he had to decide what to do, it was enough peace to let him enjoy the rest of the night. As it approached a new day, the group's energy began to wane, and people began to leave. Robin and Franky, who were still a steadfast couple left together, Luffy and Usopp left with intentions of going back to Luffy’s and Nami left with the intention of spending the night with Vivi who she was still very much dating. As Sanji began to watch everyone leave, it left him alone...well...not exactly.  

Sanji was assured by Zeff that he would handle the mess in the morning which had Sanji having his last cigarette of the night outside. He looked towards the stairs leading up to his apartment. He was about to turn and leave when he heard someone else leave the restaurant. 

It was Zoro and they both looked at each other. Sanji continued to smoke, and Zoro watched him as if he wanted to say something, but didn’t so Sanji was the first one to speak. 

“Wanna come up stairs? It’s a long way home,”  

It was the nicest way of asking Zoro if he wanted to stay the night. Now that everyone else was gone, Sanji and Zoro could drop the acting.  

“Sure. I didn’t want to walk home anyway,” 

Sanji shook his head with a humorless laugh. His reply was gruff as usual but there was some warmth behind it. They stood there for a moment, the silence between them was thick with words they couldn’t say then.  It was tension that in the past nine months had become very familiar. It had begun to define their relationship...their very complicated relationship. 

Once he was ready, he stubbed out his cigarette as his mind reeled from the advice he had been given by Robin. It couldn’t be put off any longer. Sanji had to do something about what was on his mind.  

“Come on. Let’s go then,”  

Zoro followed Sanji without a word. The quiet footsteps on the stairs were the only sound as they made their way up to Sanji’s apartment. 

When they were inside, Sanji flickered on the light. There was a soft glow in a familiar space. Zoro looked around. He was unreadable. Maybe he could tell that change needed to happen too.  

Sanji busied himself to begin with. He kicked his shoes off, tidied up a few items and the like as if to avoid talking to him. As normal, Zoro helped himself to a beer from the fridge and sat on the sofa, watching Sanji clean up.  

“Are you okay?” 

Sanji stopped what he was doing and looked at Zoro strangely. Was it that obvious? 

“I’ve been in a reflective mood...” Sanji muttered, thinking about the conversation he had with Robin recently. 

“Yeah?” Zoro said but more to prod more of an answer as if wanting to know Sanji’s thoughts but all it did was bring hesitation to the blond who stopped what he was doing and sat on the chair across from the sofa, away from Zoro. The familiar tension felt strange. 

“Yeah...” Sanji’s voice was low as he leaned back in his chair. 

Zoro’s expression remained stoic but there was a flicker of something on his face, but it was unreadable. Sanji didn’t know whether Zoro was also feeling reflective or if he had no idea what he was talking about. Either way, Sanji leaned forward. 

“I keep telling myself that I hate you. I really do hate you. Yet, when you do things like what you did tonight with Nami and Luffy...” Sanji ran his hand through his hair, “It pisses me off because you do these kind decent little things and then I don’t know how I feel...” 

Zoro didn’t say anything. What could he say? They’ve been over this countless times. No matter how many times they ended up in each other's room or have these little meet ups, they still go around in circles talking about nine months ago. Neither of them was over it nor honestly, no one could be blamed. 

“I hate you for this. I really do...” 

Zoro looked directly at Sanji, “I don’t blame you,” 

Sanji’s breath caught. That was it. Zoro accepted it with bluntness, and it caught him off guard entirely. He had expected an argument, maybe a gruff retort but instead, Zoro accepted it. 

And that just annoyed him even more. It was suffocating and yet, this was the most honest that they had been with each other this whole time. 

“I don’t want to keep going around in these circles,” Sanji’s voice was strained, “But I don’t think I can move forward...the way that things are going,” 

“You think I haven’t tried? That I don’t want to try and move on?” Zoro responded, clutching his beer like an anchor, “Do you think I haven’t suffered from this too? I know nothing I can say will make you accept what’s going on...” 

“Then why do we keep doing this? Why help with the party? Why do you keep coming back to my place? Why?” 

There was a beat of silence. Sanji had clenched his fists so hard that specs of blood appeared on the palm of his hand, but it didn’t hurt. He had bigger fish to fry right now, and it was all about Zoro. 

And Zoro just continued to stare at him. He settled his beer down on the table and leaned forward, as if trying to close the distance between them, “Because...” He began, his voice lower and more measured than normal, “No matter how much we hate each other and no matter how much we hurt each other, I cannot stay away from you. You think I enjoy this? That I love how much of a mess we are?” 

And that felt like an honest admission from Zoro. Something that Sanji could not honor in return as he scowled, “Then why the hell are we doing this? If you can’t stay away and I can’t let it go, then what the hell are we doing here?” 

And there it was again. That silence showed that neither of them knew the answer. Those raw feelings just bubbled below the surface. 

“I don’t know,” Zoro sighed, “I don’t know okay,” His voice low and rough, “I don’t have the answer, but I wish I did but I don’t,” 

Sanji scowled and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I can’t keep doing this with you,” 

“You don’t have to,” Zoro said, standing up as if something finally snapped, “No one is forcing you to do this. Maybe we should stop seeing each other,” Sanji’s heart clenched at those words even though a part of him had been expecting this conclusion. He had thought about this countless times before, about what it meant if they did cut ties and moved on. Yet, hearing Zoro vocalize it, made it real. 

“Is that what you want?” Sanji didn’t stand up. He looked up at Zoro who looked as if he was about to leave, as if he’d had enough. 

Zoro hesitated but the tension in the room pushed him to talk about it, “You’ve made it clear. You can’t do this anymore. So, you don’t have to. I’m giving you an out,” 

Sanji took a deep breath as if trying to steady himself. Everything felt as if it was crumbling around him, and he was grasping to give himself some normality. But maybe it was too late. Maybe this was the new normal. Everything felt already broken.  A wave of emotions crashed around him as a mix of anger and sadness. Zoro’s words were logical and to the point. He was giving Sanji an out and that was logical, but it was a punch in the gut after everything they had been through.  

This was the exact moment he had feared and wanted. 

“You are giving me an out?” Sanji stood up, shaking his head in disbelief and frustration, “Like it’s that simple? Like walking away will finish all of this?” 

Zoro clenched his jaw, “Maybe it is that simple, Sanji. Maybe we are making it more difficult than it had to be,”  

It was the moment he had to decide. Sanji’s heart raced and for a moment, he just couldn’t find the words. What did he want? 

“I think you are right,” Sanji said. Maybe he was right. Maybe they needed to stop. “Maybe walking away will help,” 

Zoro nodded, his face unreadable but he looked towards the door and then back to him, “I agree. I will leave you alone then...” His words hung in the air, heavy and final. The silence that followed it was suffocating and filled with things that they didn’t even get a chance to say. Finally, there was an end to this unrelenting cycle. 

For a moment, time stopped. By the time that Sanji realized that time’s arrow marched forward, Zoro opened the door and was gone. The blonde stood there frozen. So that was it. Zoro had walked out of his life as if it was nothing. He had wanted this – to end this cycle but now that it had happened, Sanji felt hollow. He clenched his fists again, realizing the pain of cuts on his hand but it was nothing compared to the pain in his chesrt. Nine months. He’d put up with this for nine months and for what? What did he have to show for it? 

Instead of relief, he felt loss.  

He sat on the sofa, the exhaustion of the night caught up on him. He rubbed his face, noticing the wetness on his cheeks. 

One step at a time. 

But what was the next step? What did he do next? How did you move on now? 

Sanji leaned back on the sofa, reaching for his lighter and cigarettes. He lit one up and stared at the ceiling. He had made his choice, now he had to live with it. Maybe that’s how it was supposed to end.  

One step at a time. 

[mariacallous]

Nearly four years ago, President Biden took office with ambitious plans to relieve millions of borrowers from student debt, protect trans students from discrimination and crack down on for-profit institutions. Getting that done required the president to use executive power to issue new rules and regulations and rewrite those put in place by the Trump administration.

But now, with Trump set to take office again in less than two weeks, many of the current Education Department’s most pressing agenda items, particularly those aimed at bolstering consumer protections for students, remain dead in the water.

Even rules that survived the gantlet of public comment and legal challenges—such as ones that hold institutions accountable and increase scrutiny over college mergers—could quickly be rolled back under Trump, landing in the graveyard alongside the rules that the Biden administration proposed or plan to pursue over the last four years.

As the clock waned on his administration, Biden took what’s likely his final action related to higher ed policy, finalizing new regulations that require colleges to report more data about their online programs, among other changes. But the final rules didn’t go as far as the administration planned. For instance, the department decided not to expand eligibility for some college-prep programs to undocumented students or to require colleges to take attendance in online classes.

And just days before that action, the Biden administration called time of death for several other efforts, scrapping two of the department’s remaining debt-relief proposals from consideration as well as a controversial rule regarding the participation of transgender student athletes in sports that align with their gender identity. Withdrawing the rules was part of “​​an administration-wide plan … to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from retooling them to achieve his own aims,” the Associated Press reported.

Combined, the dead regulations and significant modifications are a disappointing end, particularly in light of the Biden administration’s and advocates’ ambitious hopes. They wanted to improve consumer protection, promote accessible socioeconomic mobility and combat the mounting student debt crisis. But those same advocates also credit Biden’s bold ambitions, as his administration set out to essentially accomplish in four years what former president Obama did in eight. And the policies that have survived, such as making debt relief for public servants easier to access and opening up the Pell Grant to students in prison, will have a lasting impact, they say.

“The Biden administration has been very successful and productive,” said Carolyn Fast, director of higher education policy and a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, a nonpartisan progressive think tank. “If you compare them to other administrations, they actually were pretty successful.”

An Inside Higher Ed analysis of nearly 40 higher ed policy topics on the Biden administration’s rule-making agenda found that 42 percent were finalized and thus far haven’t been blocked by the courts. But issuing rules on 16 topics is more than the roughly 12 higher ed measures finalized by the Trump administration, according to Federal Register documents. The Obama administration issued about 15 final rules over the course of its two terms, though several were packages of regulations that covered a range of higher ed topics.

Still, many of the president’s agenda items—including some of the most ambitious and high-profile ones—have not been implemented. Nine of the president’s plans for higher education, such as the long-running plan to outline colleges’ obligations to combat antisemitism, never progressed further than making the to-do list. Three efforts to update the rules for state authorization, accreditation and cash management made it through a key step of the rule-making process—negotiation—but then were withdrawn. Four were proposed but not finalized. And five were finalized but blocked by courts—the majority of which had to do with debt relief or student loans.

Causing ‘Whiplash’

The many tombstones in the Biden administration’s regulatory graveyard is in large part because the president’s early agenda was focused not only on undoing rules Trump had put in place, but re-establishing and expanding Obama-era policies.

That included overhauling Title IX, a rule that protects students from sex-based discrimination. The rule, which took the department nearly two years to finalize after proposing the changes in June 2022, is currently blocked in 26 states and at hundreds of colleges. Trump is expected to roll it back entirely to reimplement his own version.

This back-and-forth process of repealing an opposing party’s regulations and implementing your own has become commonplace in federal higher education policy over the last decade and will likely impact policies well beyond just Title IX in the months ahead.

But with each presidency, the game of “regulatory Ping-Pong” seems to intensify—frustrating college leaders who are forced to expend their resources to comply with certain rules, only to watch the next president reverse course a few years later.

Michelle Dimino, education program director at Third Way, a left-of-center think tank, said the regular change in executive policy causes “whiplash” for many institutions. But she noted the stakes are even higher for student borrowers.

“These are regulations designed to smooth the pathway for students,” she said. “So altogether, when you think about pulling back these packages of regulations, you’re creating an environment where it’s riskier to be attending federally funded programs of higher education.”

Dimino added that exchanges of power in the White House would be less damaging if the political parties weren’t so polarized and gridlocked on Capitol Hill.

“Because these were going through regulation and were not fixes that were made statutorily, you just open up the door for a new incoming administration from the other party to dismantle them and do their own process,” she said. “There’s just less stability than when Congress effectively legislates and moves policy priorities through its chamber.”

Clare McCann, managing director of policy and operations for American University’s Postsecondary Equity and Economics Research Center, a research group focused on promoting more equitable outcomes in higher education, echoed Dimino.

“Ideally, a bipartisan Higher Education Act reauthorization would be able to provide more of that long-term clarity,” she said. “But in the short term, it’s going to continue to be confusing for schools and students to navigate.”

Legal Blocks and Possible Repeals

In addition to undoing the Trump administration’s policies, Biden’s higher ed agenda also included several more ambitious items, most notably debt relief, which has proven difficult to get across the finish line.

After making promises of debt relief for student loan borrowers in his 2020 campaign, Biden announced a controversial plan in August 2022 to forgive up to $20,000 in loans for all eligible Americans.

The Supreme Court shot down that plan in June 2023. That was the first of several legal setbacks for the president’s debt-relief agenda, though he has forgiven $180 billion for 4.9 million borrowers using other avenues.

Michael Brickman, an adjunct fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank, suggested that much of the Biden administration’s higher ed agenda can be split into two main buckets: student loan forgiveness and “going after” for-profits—both of which, in his mind, “have broadly been a failure.”

“A lot of the things they sought to do were not legal and, at the very least, were not good policy,” he said. “They were able to inflict regulatory damage by writing letters and sending the message that there might be regulatory scrutiny … [But] I don’t think that’s what anybody wants their government to do.”

In addition to the first and now-withdrawn debt-relief plans, several other loan-focused rules have been blocked by courts. First, a federal appeals court in August 2023 blocked Biden’s borrower-defense rules, which would have made it easier for a defrauded borrower to seek debt relief. Then, a subsequent effort to make student loan payments more affordable for borrowers was also put on hold by a federal judge in July 2024. And finally, a more narrow debt-relief plan that targeted borrowers who met certain criteria was blocked last fall.

In the end, Brickman believes that Biden’s debt-relief agenda not only failed but also actually backfired.

“They always knew that it was illegal, but they thought they would get away with it. They did not,” he said. “They also failed to anticipate the ways in which this loan forgiveness conversation has contributed to the decline in confidence in college, because it is implying that going to college is not only a bad deal, but such a bad deal that students need a federal bailout.”

Success Depends on Survival

While the debt-relief effort is likely the most high-profile agenda item Biden failed to finalize, groups advocating for students say the Biden administration should be applauded for trying in the first place.

They also say the president has succeeded in some areas, pointing to the debt relief he has provided and new measures, such as the gainful-employment rule that requires institutions to be transparent and report more data on the cost of attendance and student outcomes postgraduation, among other changes. Others add that the proposals that didn’t survive have value in the way they shift the conversation about what policies are possible.

For example, the Biden administration has come the closest to actually requiring college accreditors to set benchmarks for student achievement. And the Biden administration’s gainful-employment rule is a stronger version of a rule first created under the Obama administration that the Trump administration rescinded. Under gainful employment, for-profit and nondegree programs can lose access to federal financial aid if their graduates can’t afford to pay back their loans or make less than a high school graduate.

“The Biden administration was very strong on some work that it did to try to make sure that students and taxpayers are investing in programs that actually do provide a benefit,” said Fast, from the Century Foundation. “If it survives, it would have an enormous impact on protecting students from wasting their time and money on career programs that aren’t going to help them boost their earnings or be able to pay back their debt.”

Whether gainful employment survives will depend on the incoming Trump administration and the result of a pending lawsuit that aims to block the regulations, which took effect over the summer.

Groups like the Career Education Colleges and Universities, which lobbies on behalf of the for-profits, are opposed to the rule, arguing it’s an example of executive overreach and represents ideological bias. Other nonprofit colleges have also pushed back, arguing the rule requires institutions to report too much data in too little time.

Some conservative analysts have argued that the Biden administration’s use of executive power will leave a playbook for future presidents to use.But regardless of whom the president is and what changes they choose—or choose not—to make, the rule-making process will remain lengthy.

Trump hasn’t said much about his plans for higher education policy beyond a pledge to abolish the entire Education Department, so it’s unclear what he plans to do with regard to gainful employment or how much he’ll use Biden’s playbook and depend on regulation.

That lack of specifics makes it difficult for McCann and other experts to predict exactly when and in what ways the pendulum will swing next, but she’s hopeful that the growing public demand for return on investment will create at least some continuity of policy between Biden and Trump.

“​​A lot of the rhetoric that we’ve heard from the Trump campaign and from folks who are associated with the transition is around increasing the value of higher education and increasing transparency into which colleges are producing value for students and taxpayers,” she said. “So that’s sort of the biggest thing I’m watching, is to see whether the incoming administration matches what they’ve said with action.”