#and it’s a huge part of our history

[just-fandomthings]

Saturday, June 24, 2023, marked the 50-year anniversary of the UpStairs Lounge Fire, the second largest mass killing of LGBTQIA2S+ people in United States history.

Around 7:53 PM on June 24, 1973, an unidentified arsonist (believed to be Roger Dale Nunez), emptied a seven-ounce can of Ronsonol on the front stairs of the UpStairs Lounge and produced a spark. At 7:56 PM, a downstairs buzzer rang repeatedly within the bar’s main room, leading bartender Buddy Rasmussen to ask a patron to investigate. When the staircase door was opened, fire met oxygen, and flames exploded in a backdraft. Decor in the space ignited instantly. Rasmussen, an Air Force veteran with fire experience, led approximately forty patrons through an unmarked rear emergency exit that led them to safety. Other patrons, trapped in a far corner of the main room, attempted to break through the windows, but the windows were barred by iron bars, preventing their escape. Those who could not slide through the fourteen-inch gap between the bars perished in a pile of bodies that New Orleans Parish Coroner Carl Rabin later called a “mass of death.” The fire, extinguished by 8:12 PM burned for less than twenty minutes but claimed thirty-two lives and injured at least fifteen others.

In the aftermath of the fire, some victims could only be identified from their dentist's dental records. One man was identified by his watch. Ferris LeBlanc was identified by his ring. Three men were never identified, most likely, author Johnny Townsend concluded, because "Their closest friends died with them. There was no one left who knew who they were."

In the closet of 1973, the fire outed its victims and survivors alike. The story, front-page national news on Monday, June 25, receded to interior pages by that Wednesday when the UpStairs Lounge was confirmed to be a “gay bar. ” An abundance of locals, including first responders, made crass jokes about "flaming queens" alongside chatter that all attendees of the bar were "hoodlums" and "sinners." Several fire victims were denied religious funerals and burials.

With the indifference of the community around them, the queer community of New Orleans came together: at the conclusion of the July 1st memorial service, everyone was offered the option of exiting through a back door of the church in order to avoid the potential stigma and harassment of attending the memorial. But no one chose this option; instead, everyone decided to face the media and present a unified front to honor those who had died in the fire. Even still today, however, despite being the worst fire in New Orleans history in terms of loss of life, and the second largest mass killing of LGBTQIA2S+ people in United States history, most people are not aware the fire even occurred.

[skitskatdacat63]

I do not like to be that pretentious person that's like, "How do you NOT know about [random thing]!?" Because I'm sure there's plenty of things I'm completely oblivious to. HOWEVER oh my god 😭 Today in my class, we were briefly discussing the differences between Communist and American art. This girl who I always sit next to, was asking me to explain what we were supposed to do for the little in class assignment.

First of all, the one example had Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin, and she's like, "Who even are those guys?" Okay, fine, not everyone knows the specifics of history. So I mentioned the Soviet Union, and she's very confused like, "What's that, some era?" And I just sat there blankly for a minute in silence, because its like. How do I even begin to explain the Soviet Union to someone who apparently is completely oblivious to it. HOW ARE YOU NOT AWARE OF THE SOVIET UNION!?!?!? DO YOU KNOW WHAT COMMUNISM IS EVEN???

So I try to explain it in relation to the class specifically, like how in Stalin's years, they restricted freedom of art. And she's like, astonished, "Where did this happen, American??" WHAT 😭

[distractionactivated]

Resolutely not reblogging a post about the UK biodiversity crisis to point out that drastic declines in biodiversity in the last 20-100 years do not, necessarily, mean that the entire history of human cultivation of nature here is catastrophic. Like, I get the point the person was making and I also think that the 'we made this green and pleasant land' rhetoric is usually thinly-veiled nationalist chauvinism, but also please think about the statistics you're using.

If your stats all point to the major damage being in the last century or two, this relates to industrialisation, industrial farming, power consolidation, and un/deregulation, not the activities of ordinary farmers 500 years ago or whatever. Therefore, it's not actually countering the points the 'green and pleasant land' chuds are talking about.

[cheddar-baby]

i think if i ever went for a PHD i'd do an art history degree focusing on queer performance art during the HIV epidemic. I dont know how broad you can get with your thesis but i'd want to tie it into the ways that changed our approach performance now. I think queer artists really tore open performance and rebuilt it from the ground up. Queer performance was born out of a place of necessity and desperation and i think its nearly impossible to unlink it from HIV activism at this point.

[bookwyrminspiration]

tater and i have moved past the emotions and are going down unhinged memory lane for a moment but i WILL say this. kotlcblr in peak pandemic times changed so many people's lives for real. it was THE transitional period. and i may still be here but you and i and everyone all know it's different now... i've talked about it with so many friends. but it was!!!! so much!!! so many things were going on in all of our personal lives and something great was that it was very much a home to a lot of people and like. What We Needed at a time that we needed it, yk? where like. no one was obligated to talk about the things going on in real life but everyone was free to be silly and have fun. and if someone needed some help there was usually someone online to offer it. and then like people do when they grow up & out of something they moved away to bigger and different things with entirely different tones and themes and mediums with wildly bonking back and forth meters of writing quality. JUST LIKE AMPHIBIA i am holding your shoulders like. i am fully aware that the things that i have seen u watch are not nearly as simply animated as this and also that i wouldn't have watched it if not for my little siblings but that show has touched upon something so like. golden. like they Got It, whoever they are.the found family doesn't stay together forever! sometimes u have to grow and change and move away and never speak again but that doesn't mean that the love you had matters any less

It was! It was such an of the moment thing. Both because of the specific people, which is something that applies to this moment of keepblr now, and because of the situations we were all in? Because we were all (or almost all) young and undergoing this massive worldwide stressor with no real control over what our lives looked like--or at least that's how it felt. And so there was all this energy and unrest and comfort seeking that led to such strong involvement and connections with each other.

And then the world started repealing its restrictions and trying to move on (regardless of if it was smart to do or not) and so we had more going on irl again and weren't cooped up seeking connection. And then we were also getting older and so a lot of people joined other fandoms or left tumblr. Which is fine! it's just bittersweet to think about

Which!! Is just like amphibia. As for the style thing, I know I'd get over it and get used to it once I started I just. Haven't started. But everything I've heard about it has been very good! Especially cool to see comparisons to real life. Sometimes people are only part of your life for a brief part of it, and that time has to end and you'll miss it but you have to grow and move on. But it still mattered so so much, even though it ended. Maybe even because it's not like it used to be.

So so many thoughts, this is also making me think about irl friendships and such which is. oof!

[milo-is-rambling]

Don’t get high and then watch the only team you care about lose

[poooooooooao3]

wow. so weird and unexpected

my 'for you' page is wild. I like and reblog some posts about antisemitism or Jewish history or Jewish anything, and my FYP reflects that. It suggests me posts about Judaism or Jewish history or antisemitism, etc.

Then I like and reblog some general leftist posts about engaging with and taking care of your community, universal basic income, stuff like that. My FYP is suddenly so fucking antisemitic. I get posts about how evil (((Zionists))) are, misinformation about Israel, even misinformation about, denial of, or justification for antisemitic violence happening today across Europe. It's appalling.

---

My conclusion from the facts in front of me is that the for-you algorithm seems to go:

- "you like posts about antisemitism being bad? You might like Jewish stuff!" (which is fine and pretty sensible imo. i do in fact enjoy those posts too) - "you like posts about leftist economic policy and action? You might also like antisemitism!"

..and that's super fucked up and not OK

[alittleemo]

man they rlly said we are going to make your grocery store experience so miserable and hangry bc the rest of your day will be so overwhelmingly good we need to balance it out brother. and wow it rlly was great what a 180

[poisonandpages]

I saw someone in one of the X-men tags complaining about the "soap opera drama" in the comics and their adaptations. Way to say you've never read the comics lmao. It's been a superpowered soap opera since 1963, baby!

[chemsitryforthegirls]

Mini rant on living a "good" queer life

I don't relate to the advice every queer podcast/influencer/media seems to be pushing these days of "cut off your family, move to LA, you don't owe anything to anyone, destroy any societal structure to fit your narrative."

It is self-absorbed, unsustainable, and an excuse to hurt whoever you please in pursuit of "living your truth". I hate that young queer people who are just coming into their identity are vehemently discouraged from finding ways to live contently within the systems they are a part of. It's fine to want the kind of life that looks nice on a Christmas card and it doesn't make you a "bad queer" to want that.

Don't let the loudest of our community tell you that choosing to live a life that is "ordinary" or fulfills society's expectations doesn't make the world better for the next generation or isn't proudly and boldly queer. Who made me realize I could be a lesbian? Who convinced my family and friends it wasn't the end of the world? It was the women who looked like everyone else, who held ordinary jobs, who had a families and houses with a white picket fences and lived the lives I spent my whole life dreaming while also loving another woman. We don't make our communities better or more accepting by abandoning them. It is radical queer activism to stay put as well.

It takes a long time to build communities, relationships, and families that weather the test of time. You are not perfect either. You are guaranteed to put your foot in your mouth, find yourself on the wrong side of a conflict, or mistreat the people you care about over the course of your lifetime. If you surround yourself with people who cut off anyone who missteps then don't be surprised when you fall from grace and find yourself very much alone.

[annoyinglandmagazine]

FINE, you get another go at the time machine and the ability to prevent one birth (or commit a murder up to you), don't worry about the butterfly effect, we want the butterfly effect that's part of the point. Your actions will prevent them from ever rising to prominence. Original poll here There may be a face off poll at the end. Hitler still isn't an option because we'd all chose to kill him.

Am gonna go Pontius Pilate and say my hands are cleaned of this one. All of the below are nominees.

[bbrabbits]

another super insulting part of the watcher situation i haven't rly seen ppl addressing much

ryan deadass saying smth like "nobody else on youtube has made tv quality content"

like... i really feel like it's important to highlight that bc not only do they obviously have no respect for their audience, but that statement shows they have no respect for their peers in the industry, either.

not to mention it is a shining example of bleeding arrogance to such a high degree, you will straight up fucking lie bc you're truly convinced you're that special when you're anything but.

there's been NUMEROUS online creators who were recognized by entertainment industry workers BECAUSE they made tv quality content & even full stop blockbuster quality content.

bo burnham started on youtube & is now one of the most wellknown & loved standup comedians of our generation, with numerous netflix specials & even a movie he wrote & directed under his belt.

the try guys, fellow ex-buzzfeed employees, had their own tv specials on food network (based off their youtube shows, btw) & a documentary made about them as well

rosanna pansino has also been on numerous food network shows both as a host & a judge

quinta brunsun, another fellow ex-buzzfeed employee, went on to create her own whole ass sitcom that has been highly praised

matpat cameo'd in the fnaf movie because of his theories & multiple other fnaf creators had small cameos through the employee of the month board easter egg

markiplier made multiple high-quality shows on youtube & is now working on a highly anticipated movie (he was also planned to cameo in the fnaf movie but couldn't due to conflicting schedules with his own movie)

hot ones got their own tv gameshow due to their popularity & they are still one of the most wellknown, beloved & respected internet shows

many short films made on youtube went on to premiere at film festivals & even in theaters

the hit horror film "talk to me" was created by youtubers rackaracka

webseries of actual fucking tv shows have also existed for literal decades

the list goes on.

to seriously think that overproduced bullshit is all you need to make "tv quality content" is not only tone-deaf, but shows they do not even know what they're talking about. many tv shows & huge blockbuster movies are made with absolutely microscopic budgets & small teams, & they still get praised & awarded for the passion, dedication, & creativity that shined brightly under those restrictions.

the blair witch project is probably the most wellknown & highly praised example of this, but it is far from the Only example

it is a whole other slap in the face, again ESPECIALLY when puppet history is one of their most popular shows, to spit in the face of internet history. to see the success of their predecessors, even ppl they fucking worked with at buzzfeed, & deny them of all their success & efforts to get where they ended up.

no, y'all are not the first people to make "tv quality content" on the internet. FAR from it. because your crap isn't even genuine "tv quality".

but you are the first ones to ever disrespect not only your audience, but your own fucking industry & your peers on this level.

& you are the first & i sorely hope the only fuckwads dumb enough to pull a stunt this fucking stupid, out of touch & utterly tone deaf.

[elodieunderglass]

for the horse asks: appaloosa?

Appaloosa - What's your favorite horse color(s)?

I don’t really have one but I LOVE when horses and ponies are what they’re supposed to be!

I’m also a huge fan of the primitive markings, and general Lascaux cave horse appearance.

So like I wouldn’t say flaxen chestnut is my favorite AT ALL, but the Haflinger!! . yes you are a cobby little horse with a big butt that needs to be a flaxen chestnut!! and everyone understands this. Perfect animal. No need to track changes. Also I do love when a horse has a bit of texture in their mane and tail, so respect to Haflingers for being the rare wavy-haired horsie. I don’t even like blondes so you see what I mean here about it just being the pure synergy of intention and form and style, the Haflinger just is perfectly complete.

And then a brunblakk fjord horse. The mealy muzzle. The dorsal stripe. Black ear tips. Someone from 20,000 years ago is grasping my hand across space and time and we are crying together about how perfect a thick little horsie can get. Granted the fjords always have the weirdest haircuts in the world, but you can see exactly why. This horse is so perfectly what it’s supposed to be that you can’t resist scrungling it a little bit. Also another animal that IS its name like: all Norwegian Fjords LOOK like the breed name is Norwegian Fjord, and they ARE all named things like Freya. As they should be. This is an animal that is exactly what it should be.

You know how horse people compliment each other’s horses by saying they have a kind eye? It’s hard not to have a Kind Eye if you are a brunblakk Norwegian Fjord.

And of course, my baby, my darling, my moorland mousie, the feral shaggy brown/bay with mealy markings that is the Exmoor Pony. You look at this tubby beastie and you say YES. YES YOU ARE BORN TO BE A LITTLE BEASTIE ENCOUNTERED SUDDENLY ON A MISTY MOOR . The sculpting of the contour colours! Some sculpture artist would spend hours with an airbrush trying to do that! and they just wake up in the morning , eyeliner: on, eyeshadow: on, lipstick: on, cheeks: contoured, muzzle: mealy, dapples subtle, ready to go. Can’t even see their eyes half the time, but underneath 25 pounds of luscious pelted mane they’re wearing natural mascara. And for what? Living full time on rocks in the rain, baby!! This is a cave painting horse and it always will be!

The reverse of that of course is horses who Shouldn’t Be That Color. For example I am a little bit upset by this chestnut Shire, who isn’t a flaxen chestnut and probably should be. What are you doing baby? You need some leg markings sweetheart. Can we just dye your mane and tail black maybe, you have bay energy. Ughhhhh I’m trying not to be prescriptive. Ughhhh all horses are beautiful and beauty standards are fake but ———— - sweet child we HAVE to style you somehow!!!! You are a Shire!!!!! WHAT IS THIS??

And I love - LOVE! - a grulla/grullo. Obvious reasons: I like primitive markings, and I have the aesthetic taste of a small child. Who doesn’t secretly love a deviantart sparklehorse?

but I will be the first to admit that it is a razor’s edge between a really lovely grulla horse who reaches back to touch our shared history and knowledge of ourselves, an unbroken thread of beauty that should be painted in a cave under an ancient mountain, like a jewel of the earth: and a necromantic vessel that was bred to encourage possession by evil ghosts, to be harvested regularly and sold at retail prices by some midwestern white woman as part of some tortuous work-from-home scheme. And I do understand this. I know this about myself and about grullas. Like, this one is a horse that probably shouldn’t - we probably shouldn’t have done this. You know?

Do not ask about cremellos.

[neo--queen--serenity]

This episode really highlighted how close Marcille, Laios, and Chilchuck actually are.

The viewer is used to seeing our main characters behave like coworkers up to this point—even friends—and they express normal, understandable levels of concern and fear when their other party members are in danger. But when the nightmare attacked Marcille, it brought out sides of Laios and Chilchuck that the viewer hadn’t seen before.

Laios immediately notices when something is wrong with Marcille, and he tells the others as soon as he’s sure of the problem. Chilchuck and Senshi then follow Laios’ lead as it becomes clear that he intends to make her get some rest.

We see Chilchuck’s hands lay out the bedroll and Senshi’s hands set up the pillow, working in almost perfect tandem as Laios physically wrangles Marcille into bed.

Senshi is in a similar perspective as the viewer, and mostly sits and watches the ordeal unfold. He doesn’t have a shared history, like these three do, so he helps in little ways, but mostly waits on standby for direction.

From here on out, it’s mostly Laios and Chilchuck who take over in planning how to help her.

It’s uncommon for Chilchuck to openly show such distress and worry for one of his party members. He’s used to Marcille being able to defend herself; he’s used to her being capable and strong. He immediately defers to Laios for instruction, (rightly) assuming he will know what to do.

This actually produces a reaction close to real fear from Chilchuck, who outright SMACKS her in a panic to wake her up before getting any further information.

Laios has to quickly stop him, explaining that he could truly hurt her if he interrupts the attack this way. He tells them how he’s going to wake her, and he doesn’t hesitate. He jumps straight in, explaining what he’s doing for the others so that they (Chilchuck) won’t be afraid.

Chilchuck doesn’t question him once. He just does what he can to hurry along the process. He tucks Laios in with his blanket as soon as he lays onto Marcille—an unnecessary action that betrays how much he cares for both of them.

And Laios succeeds in helping Marcille out of the nightmare’s grasp. While trapped in her mind, he reassures her, protects her, tells her how much she’s valued and appreciated. He isn’t embarrassed or sheepish about it, either; he openly declares these things like it’s the most normal and obvious thing in the world.

He gets her out, he saves her. He did the exact thing he set out to do, even though he’d never done it before, and only had Falin’s secondhand information to work with.

Once he wakes, Chilchuck immediately checks on him to see if he’s alright. Chilchuck is clearly still rattled, displeased with having to wait while both of his close friends were unconscious, fighting a battle neither he nor Senshi could see or help with.

Marcille wakes up shortly after Laios, but Chilchuck is still on edge, worrying that she’ll fall back asleep. Laios, too, has a moment of alarm when he makes sure she won’t close her eyes again.

Once he takes the subdued nightmares out of Marcille’s pillow, only then do Laios and Chilchuck relax.

Laios, for his part, remained calm and collected almost the entire time. He did not show panic or fear when it became clear that Marcille was being attacked, nor when he told the rest of the party what he’d be doing to help her. And once the nightmares had been collected from her bedroll, he gently explained what happened, to everyone else’s horror.

Seeing this, it’s not a huge surprise that the Touden party is so successful. We’ve seen Laios handle danger with a level head; we know he’s capable.

But it’s an entirely different kind of talent to face a threat that’s targeting one of your closest friends—which can make even the most competent fighter sloppy out of fear of losing them—one that requires a high-risk, specific rescue style that none of you have ever tried before. And then pull it off flawlessly. Like damn, these guys are lucky to have him.

[dreamings-free]

reblog to add this excerpt from The Guardian (and to recommend reading the full article!)

by Ben Beaumont-Thomas Wed 13 Nov 2024 09.00 CET

[excerpt]

Subtitled “2024 Ultimate Mix” and released on 25 November, the new version of the song certainly has an impressively A-list cast of singers. Contributors from the 1984 original include George Michael, Boy George, Sting and Simon Le Bon; Robbie Williams, Dido and Sugababes are among those from Band Aid 20 in 2004; while alumni from 2014’s Band Aid 30 include Ed Sheeran, Sinéad O’Connor, Sam Smith, Seal, Guy Garvey and One Direction. There will also be two appearances by Chris Martin, and three from Bono.

The backing band is compiled from the original and 2004 versions, with Paul McCartney and Duran Duran’s John Taylor on bass, Thom Yorke on piano, Phil Collins on drums, and Justin and Dan Hawkins from the Darkness on guitar.

Stitching them together for the new version is Trevor Horn, the music producer known for 80s hits with Frankie Goes to Hollywood, ABC and more, who was originally asked by Bob Geldof to produce the 1984 original. In the end, Ultravox’s Midge Ure produced Do They Know It’s Christmas? in Horn’s studio, with Horn later providing a 12in remix.

[..]

The 2024 version will have a music video that splices performance footage from across the years, directed by Oliver Murray, who did a similar job with the video for the Beatles’ 2023 song Now and Then.

Sir Peter Blake, the pop artist who created the artwork for the 1984 release, returns to create a new image for the cover of the 2024 version, which will be available on CD and 12in vinyl as well as streams and downloads.

-> full article on theguardian.com

The new version of the Christmas classic amalgamates voices from the versions of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' from 1984, 2004 and 2014

By Emma Wilkes 13th November 2024

A new ‘2024 Ultimate Mix’ version of Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ will arrive later this month in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the charity Christmas single.

The new mix of the song, produced by Trevor Horn, brings together all of the voices from three versions of the track, recorded in 1984, 2004 and 2014.

-> full article here at nme.com

—

I know various harrie UAs and some media are saying only Harry will feature on this release, and it's probably because the press release quoted in both Rolling Stone UK and Music Week seems to feature the sentence "A young George Michael beside a young Harry Styles." with no mention of 1D. but to me this reads as it will be all five 1D members in the recording from 2014.. The Guardian mentions One Direction and not Harry specifically.

[thewisecheerio]

Messmer's actually terrible at his job. (affectionate)

Messmer is a fascinating villain, because he is strangely compassionate. I would go so far as to argue that this same compassion that is so at odds with his villainy is the very thing that drove him to become that villain in the first place. Hang with me; this is a long post.

Spoilers for Elden Ring DLC. Obviously.

Messmer tells us himself that his purpose is to purge all those stripped of the grace of gold. "Yet...my purpose standeth unchanged. Those stripped of grace of gold shall all meet death...in the embrace of Messmer's flame." We can piece together who gave him this genocidal purpose from his armor set's description, which tells us directly that he's working on his mother's behalf *and also* taking all the blame for it.

So he's playing war criminal on Marika's behalf. And I do mean playing. I'm not downplaying the fact that he is a war criminal; he has murdered on entire people. But here's the thing: he's *terrible* at playing the sole part of the spiteful, hateful overlord. He's *awful* at reveling in war and its victories.

Why? Empathy.

Messmer is strangely empathic for what could have otherwise been a cut-and-dry villain:

1. His relationship with Gaius, an Albinauric: We learn from Gaius's Remembrance that he was Messmer's bestie. We also know that Gaius was an Albinauric both from his armor as well as the location "Albinauric's Hut" in the direction he comes from at the beginning of his fight. Albinaurics are despised by the Golden Order, but Messmer didn't seem to care. In fact, he cared so little that he gave Gaius command of either a huge chunk or perhaps his entire army, second only to him. And what is given as the basis of this friendship? The fact that they were "both cursed from birth", i.e. a mutual understanding of what it is to be despised. They're trauma bonded because they have empathy for each other's predicament.

2. His relationship with the Jar people: Even though the Jar people were used as weapons of war against his own people, he doesn't seem to resent them. How do we know? There is a hospital where the Jars and their innards are being cared for in the Storehouse, a stone's throw away from where Messmer spends all his time. There are even a few baby Jars running around in it. Strange thing to do to what is essentially an enemy of your people, unless you consider them to also be victims of the same conflict.

3. His relationship with his soldiers: Messmer shares his own flame with his army. Yeah, that absolutely could be interpreted as a utilitarian move for the sake of war. Power up the troops, boost your chance at victory. But it's a strange choice when he could have just armed them in the traditional way of handing them sharp, pointy objects and pointing in the desired direction of stabbing. Instead, arming your soldiers with your own power could also be interpreted as something you do when you care about their survival and are potentially working directly with them to ensure it.

4. The mourning of people who betray him: Speaking of his soldiers, Messmer gets betrayed by at least a few of them. We learn this from the ashes of Andreas and Huw. Huw's ashes further tell us that Messmer *mourned their loss* as brothers-in-arms. Weird thing to do to someone who has betrayed you, unless you care very deeply about them to begin with.

5. The implications of the Storehouse: Even though he is actively genociding Hornsent on Marika's orders, he somehow has preserved an entire library of their history. At first, I thought this was maybe just British Museum vibes: steal all the artifacts and refuse to give them back. (And that could still be a correct interpretation.) But in context of the rest of these points, if you're truly hellbent on erasing a culture, why would you bother to preserve any of it? Would you not burn the libraries along with the people? It's a fairly common thing to do in our world's wars--destroy the art and history to ensure full erasure. And yet, it seems he can't even bring himself to avoid some small amount of sympathy for the people he was explicitly tasked with killing. If you really *think* about the basis for his sympathy for Marika, this does make a lot of sense. Messmer is following Marika's orders because he knows about what the Hornsent did to the Shaman. Wouldn't it then also be the case that once Marika's reign became nothing but genocide, i.e. an exact reversal of what was done to her people, he would have the same kind of sympathy for them? Perhaps this is a form of harm reduction in the only way he could square with what he thinks is his purpose.

6. His own self-hatred: Messmer despises his own flames, which we learn from the Messmer's Orb description. If you were happy to be Doing a Genocide, would you not celebrate your weapons of war? Wouldn't you take pride in them as tools of power? Unless, of course, you're not actually as happy as we think and maybe having regrets and come to be filled with severe self-hatred. Woops.

So then, if Messmer is this guy running around with a lot of Big Feelings (and probably a deep need for a Prozac prescription), why does he even agree to this genocide in the first place? Isn't that an *odd* choice for someone who seems to care pretty deeply about people, even people despised by his family's governing order? Why does he carry out these orders even to the point of developing a deep self-hatred?

This is where Messmer's sympathy, one of his best aspects, also becomes his fatal flaw.

I mentioned above in 5 that Messmer has access to information about both sides of this conflict. As much as he might have sympathy for everyone around him--including weapons used against the Shaman like the Jars--that means he *also* has sympathy for the Shaman. So if you have sympathy for the other side and sympathy for your side, and you are raised by your own side, then what is the natural outcome? Your side wins. If you must choose a side, then you fight on behalf of Child Soldier Fostering Mother Marika. She raised you, after all. It's inevitable.

In the end, that same sympathy he seems to extend to others also is what causes him to do war crimes. Out of an abundance of sympathy for what happened to the Shamans, he agrees to take up arms.

At the end of the day, he's still a villain that needs to be stopped so that he'll stop oppressing an entire people on behalf of his mother's misguided attempts at revenge. But making his reasoning to agree to become that villain in the first place *empathy* of all things? Fascinating.