#and whose 'simple' ways would eventually change the country

[beggars-opera]

On the road leading into the center of Concord, Massachusetts, there sits a house.

It is a plain, colonial-style house, of which there are many along this road. It has sea green and buff paint, a historical plaque, and one of the most multi-layered stories I have ever encountered to showcase that history is continuous, complicated, and most importantly, fragmentary, unless you know where to look.

So, where to start? The plaque.

There's some usual information here: Benjamin Barron built the house in 1716, and years later it was a "witness house" to the start of the American Revolution. And then, something unusual: a note about an enslaved man named John Jack whose epitaph is "world famous."

Where is this epitaph? Right around the corner in the town center.

It reads:

God wills us free; man wills us slaves. I will as God wills; God’s will be done. Here lies the body of JOHN JACK a native of Africa who died March 1773 aged about 60 years Tho’ born in a land of slavery, He was born free. Tho’ he lived in a land of liberty, He lived a slave. Till by his honest, tho’ stolen labors, He acquired the source of slavery, Which gave him his freedom; Tho’ not long before Death, the grand tyrant Gave him his final emancipation, And set him on a footing with kings. Tho’ a slave to vice, He practised those virtues Without which kings are but slaves.

We don't know precisely when the man first known only as Jack was purchased by Benjamin Barron. We do know that he, along with an enslaved woman named Violet, were listed in Barron's estate upon his death in 1754. Assuming his gravestone is accurate, at that time Jack would have been about 40 and had apparently learned the shoemaking trade from his enslaver. With his "honest, though stolen labors" he was then able to earn enough money to eventually purchase his freedom from the remaining Barron family and change his name to John, keeping Jack as a last name rather than using his enslaver's.

John Jack died, poor but free, in 1773, just two years before the Revolutionary War started. Presumably as part of setting up his own estate, he became a client of local lawyer Daniel Bliss, brother-in-law to the minister, William Emerson. Bliss and Emerson were in a massive family feud that spilled into the rest of the town, as Bliss was notoriously loyal to the crown, eventually letting British soldiers stay in his home and giving them information about Patriot activities.

Daniel Bliss also had abolitionist leanings. And after hearing John's story, he was angry.

Here was a man who had been kidnapped from his home country, dragged across the ocean, and treated as an animal for decades. Countless others were being brutalized in the same way, in the same town that claimed to love liberty and freedom. Reverend Emerson railed against the British government from the pulpit, and he himself was an enslaver.

It wouldn't do. John Jack deserved so much more. So, when he died, Bliss personally paid for a large gravestone and wrote its epitaph to blast the town's hypocrisy from the top of Burial Hill. When the British soldiers trudged through the cemetery on April 19th, 1775, they were so struck that they wrote the words down and published them in the British newspapers, and that hypocrisy passed around Europe as well. And the stone is still there today.

You know whose stone doesn't survive in the burial ground?

Benjamin Barron's.

Or any of his family that I know of. Which is absolutely astonishing, because this story is about to get even more complicated.

Benjamin Barron was a middle-class shoemaker in a suburb that wouldn't become famous until decades after his death. He lived a simple life only made possible by chattel slavery, and he will never show up in a U.S. history textbook.

But he had a wife, and a family. His widow, Betty Barron, from whom John purchased his freedom, whose name does not appear on her home's plaque or anywhere else in town, does appear either by name or in passing in every single one of those textbooks.

Terrible colonial spelling of all names in their marriage record aside, you may have heard her maiden name before:

Betty Parris was born into a slaveholding family in 1683, in a time when it was fairly common for not only Black, but also Indigenous people to be enslaved. It was also a time of war, religious extremism, and severe paranoia in a pre-scientific frontier. And so it was that at the age of nine, Betty pointed a finger at the Arawak woman enslaved in her Salem home, named Titibe, and accused her of witchcraft.

Yes, that Betty Parris.

Her accusations may have started the Salem Witch trials, but unlike her peers, she did not stay in the action for long. As a minor, she was not allowed to testify at court, and as the minister's daughter, she was too high-profile to be allowed near the courtroom circus. Betty's parents sent her to live with relatives during the proceedings, at which point her "bewitchment" was cured, though we're still unsure if she had psychosomatic problems solved by being away from stress, if she stopped because the public stopped listening, or if she stopped because she no longer had adults prompting her.

Following the witch hysteria, the Parrises moved several times as her infamous father struggled to hold down a job and deal with his family's reputation. Eventually they landed in Concord, where Betty met Benjamin and married him at the age of 26, presumably having had no more encounters with Satan in the preceding seventeen years. She lived an undocumented life and died, obscure and forgotten, in 1760, just five years before the Stamp Act crisis plunged America into a revolution, a living bridge between the old world and the new.

I often wonder how much Betty's story followed her throughout her life. People must have talked. Did they whisper in the town square, "Do you know what she did when she was a girl?" Did John Jack hear the stories of how she had previously treated the enslaved people in her life? Did that hasten his desperation to get out? And what of Daniel Bliss; did he know this history as well, seeing the double indignity of it all? Did he stop and think about how much in the world had changed in less than a century since his neighbor was born?

We'll never know.

All that's left is a gravestone, and a house with an insufficient plaque.

[txttletale]

"you, specifically, are a bad and evil person that all my posts are written to condemn" this is not what i said. i'm sorry for not being clearer. i just feel like everyone in this space, not just you, look down on people who live in the first world as people who willingly don't change anything about how the world works when it's just not that simple. i know you all love to combat this and say otherwise but it will never change the simple reality that for some people it really is very hard, if not impossible, to do anything politically, for a variety of reasons. i'm disabled, i live in a remote part of the country, and i'm bad at talking to people. i don't have the money to just move to a population center or get lessons on how to speak to people. i can't do anything and i feel like every time you or one of the other communists on tumblr talks about the imperial core, i feel like i, personally, am being held to an unreasonable standard that i would not hold anyone else to, if i were in one of your situations. obviously i want things to change. i don't want genocide to be a thing that's constantly happening, i don't want my country to have its tendrils dug into every other country, i want socialism and eventually global communism, and if i could do anything meaningful-- anything at all-- to achieve those goals i would be working on that. but right now that just is not the case for me, and i feel like i'm not alone in that either. i just wish you had like a smidgen of empathy for some of the people living here who don't fit into your stereotype of what a member of the imperial core looks like-- i'm not even trying to say that sarcastically, it genuinely feels like you all don't see us as human. like nyanguard especially seems to think of us as incapable of saving ourselves, and one of the reblogs to my first ask just said they "like to imagine that (i'm) crying as i type this". how am i supposed to react to that? is this how all of you feel about people like me? would your feelings about me change if i lived in another country, or would you find some other excuse to talk down to me? is it really just the country i live in that's the problem, here? i'm not trying to accuse you, i'm asking this question genuinely.

i know it's tempting to respond to this with a snarky comment but please just try to understand where i am coming from. i really am willing to help if i can.

i don't think any marxist seriously has a political theory of imperialism that amounts to "citizens of the imperial core simply choose not to do anything because they are all individually bad people". i mean the whole point of marxism is that economic relations are the ultimate drivers of historical change, not abstract psychological or moral qualities of people.

i'm sympathetic to your situation! the imperial core is a very atomizing place to live, and there are places and situations where there's just no practical path to getting organized and taking meaningful political action in the near future. however, your problem here is:

i feel like i, personally, am being held to an unreasonable standard that i would not hold anyone else to

nobody is posting about you, personally. like at the end of the day you have to learn to either not take posts like that personally or just block everyone who makes them to manage your own time on the computer vis a vis niceness--i don't think it's the responsibility of me or any other communist to constantly provide asterisks and carveouts that we're not talking about the Good Ones Who Have Extenuating Circumstances when we talk about the usa and its material political base.

& in the same way that you ask for empathy for your situation i would ask you to extend a level of understanding to people whose homelands and countrymen and communities have been devastated by US coups and sanctions and invasions, that they have as much a right to express the rage and fury and hurt of that cultural legacy as you do to express your own sadness about your own situation. imagine, for example, how you would feel if your grandparents could not reliably get medicine because of us sanctions. & of course the correct target for these feelings are not random usamericans--but these posts are also not serious politcal platforms, they are venting from people who live their lives under the weight of empire.

if you think what they're saying is unfair to you, then you need to develop the ability to say 'well, i understand why they would feel that way' and move on. like i understand why you are upset, and i don't say this to be dismissive, but as real advice: it is not fair (especially to bloggers from the global south) to essentially rest your happiness and self-worth at their feet and demand that they validate you.

genuinely, i hope this helps. it's all i really have to say on the matter.

[moonlightsapphic]

Releasing Nimona on the last day of pride month 2023 was such a great move because it’s a really needed piece of media right now. Lots of countries that legalised gay marriage years ago have been grappling with this rising TERF narrative of “if you’re gay it’s whatever but if you’re trans, non-binary or gender non-conforming in some way you’re a PERVERT! A MONSTER trying to GROOM CHILDREN!” The outrage against simple things like pronouns and drag events, and the movement against gender affirming healthcare have reached a terrifying peaks for contemporary times.

So a kid’s movie set in a fictional country with controlling government officials with personal agendas, with an openly gay couple but also a shape-shifting kid who cannot even be afford to be out is our reality in the US today. Nimona’s feelings about her vibe, body and form, her insistence that she is only “Nimona” no matter what she looks like and her aversion to “small-minded questions” together forms such a beautiful allegory about trans, genderfluid individuals.

Ballister asks her to be a girl, but for whose sake? It’s only for the comfort of people who refuse to understand her, and would rather see her die than let her be herself. And it’s this widespread rejection and loneliness that has eventually made Nimona indifferent to pain, that makes her feel suicidal.

In the end, it is another member of the LGBTQ+ community that truly sees and accepts Nimona for who she is. And that should be a reminder that we cannot let them divide us. Trans people stood up for the rest of us and made historical change happen, and we need to do the same for them. Besides, cis queer people are only the “good ones” until they’re done with trans people and then will turn on us.

[mariacallous]

Republicans are thrashing around trying to get themselves out of the abortion ban they have tried to win for so many decades. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was the first. In the fall of 2022, just months after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, he proposed legislation calling for a national abortion ban after 15 weeks. So far, this bill has gone nowhere. Then, in 2023, gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin of Virginia put the 15-week abortion ban at the center of his campaign to help the GOP take full control of the Virginia legislature. Rather than holding one house and picking up the other, he lost both. Recently, former President Donald Trump—who often brags about appointing the three Supreme Court justices who made possible the repeal of Roe v. Wade—offered his own way out of the thicket by applauding the fact that states now can decide the issue for themselves. And in Arizona, the Republican Senate candidate, Kari Lake, is trying to rally the party around the notion of a 15-week ban instead of the 1864 near total ban their court just affirmed, even though she’s facing criticism for this on the far right. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal came out with a poll showing that abortion was the number one issue—by far—for suburban women voters in swing states.

In each instance (and there will be more) we find Republicans desperately trying to find a position on the issue that makes their base and the other parts of their coalition happy.

It doesn’t exist, and here’s why—abortion is an integral part of health care for women.

Since 2022, when the Supreme Court eviscerated Roe in the Dobbs case, we have been undergoing a reluctant national seminar in obstetrics and gynecology. All over the country, legislators—mostly male—are discovering that pregnancy is not simple. Pregnancies go wrong for many reasons, and when they do, the fetus needs to be removed. One of the first to discover this reality was Republican State Representative Neal Collins of South Carolina. He was brought to tears by the story of a South Carolina woman whose water broke just after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Obstetrics lesson #1—a fetus can’t live after the water breaks. But “lawyers advised doctors that they could not remove the fetus, despite that being the recommended medical course of action.” And so, the woman was sent home to miscarry on her own, putting her at risk of losing her uterus and/or getting blood poisoning.

A woman from Austin, Texas had a similar story—one that eventually made its way into a heart-wrenching ad by the Biden campaign. Amanda Zurawski was 18 weeks pregnant when her water broke. Rather than remove the fetus, doctors in Texas sent her home where she miscarried—and developed blood poisoning (sepsis) so severe that she may never get pregnant again. Note that in both cases the medical emergency happened after 15 weeks—late miscarriages are more likely to have serious medical effects than early ones. The 15-week idea, popular among Republicans seeking a way out of their quagmire, doesn’t conform to medical reality.

Over in Arkansas, a Republican state representative learned that his niece was carrying a fetus who lacked a vital organ, meaning that it would never develop normally and either die in utero or right after birth. Obstetrics lesson #2—severe fetal abnormalities happen. He changed his position on the Arkansas law saying, “Who are we to sit in judgment of these women making a decision between them and their physician and their God above?”

In a case that gained national attention, Kate Cox, a Texas mother of two, was pregnant with her third child when the fetus was diagnosed with a rare condition called Trisomy 18, which usually ends in miscarriage or in the immediate death of the baby. Continuing this doomed pregnancy put Cox at risk of uterine rupture and would make it difficult to carry another child. Obstetrics lesson #3—continuing to carry a doomed pregnancy can jeopardize future pregnancies. And yet the Texas Attorney General blocked an abortion for Cox and threatened to prosecute anyone who took care of her, and the Texas Supreme Court ruled that her condition did not meet the statutory exception for “life-threatening physical condition.”

So, she and her husband eventually went to New Mexico for the abortion.

Obstetrics lesson #4—miscarriages are very common, affecting approximately 30% of pregnancies. While many pass without much drama and women heal on their own—others cause complications that require what’s known as a D&C for dilation and curettage. This involves scraping bits of pregnancy tissue out of the uterus to avoid infection. When Christina Zielke of Maryland was told that her fetus had no heartbeat, she opted to wait to miscarry naturally.

While waiting, she and her husband traveled to Ohio for a wedding where she began to bleed so heavily that they had to go to an emergency room. A D&C would have stopped the bleeding, but in Ohio, doctors worried that they would be criminally charged under the new abortion laws and sent her home in spite of the fact that she was still bleeding heavily and in spite of the fact that doctors in Maryland had confirmed that her fetus had no heartbeat. Eventually her blood pressure dropped, and she passed out from loss of blood and returned to the hospital where a D&C finally stopped the bleeding.

These are but a few of the horror stories that will continue to mount in states with partial or total bans on abortion. As these stories accumulate, the issue will continue to have political punch. We have already seen the victory of pro-choice referenda in deep red conservative states like Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, and Ohio; and in swing states like Michigan and in deep blue states like California and Vermont. In an era where almost everything is viewed through a partisan lens, abortion rights transcend partisanship.

And more referenda are coming in November. The expectation is that at least some, if not most, of the pro-choice voters likely to be mobilized by the abortion issue will help Democrats up and down the ballot. As a result, Democratic campaigns are working hard to make sure the public knows that Republicans are responsible.

[ridenwithbiden]

 The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.

The proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.

The agency's move, confirmed to the AP on Tuesday by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive regulatory review, clears the last significant regulatory hurdle before the agency’s biggest policy change in more than 50 years can take effect.

Once OMB signs off, the DEA will take public comment on the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. It moves pot to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids, following a recommendation from the federal Health and Human Services Department. After the public comment period and a review by an administrative judge, the agency would eventually publish the final rule.

The proposal will be formally signed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, whose agency has ultimate oversight of the DEA, according to another person familiar with the process who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Garland's signature throws the full weight of the Justice Department behind the move and appears to signal its importance to the Biden administration.

It comes after President Joe Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law in October 2022 and moved to pardon thousands of Americans convicted federally of simple possession of the drug. He has also called on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to erase marijuana convictions.

“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in December. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

The election year announcement could help Biden, a Democrat, boost flagging support, particularly among younger voters.

Biden and a growing number of lawmakers from both major political parties have been pushing for the DEA decision as marijuana has become increasingly decriminalized and accepted, particularly by younger people. A Gallup poll last fall found 70% of adults support legalization, the highest level yet recorded by the polling firm and more than double the roughly 30% who backed it in 2000.

The DEA didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.

Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic in them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.

Some critics argue the DEA shouldn’t change course on marijuana, saying rescheduling isn’t necessary and could lead to harmful side effects.

Jack Riley, a former deputy administrator of the DEA, said he had concerns about the proposed change because he thinks marijuana remains a possible “gateway drug," one that may lead to the use of other drugs.

“But in terms of us getting clear to use our resources to combat other major drugs, that’s a positive,” Riley said, noting that fentanyl alone accounts for more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. a year.

On the other end of the spectrum, others argue marijuana should be treated the way alcohol is.

Last week, 21 Democrats led by Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York sent a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and Attorney General Merrick Garland arguing marijuana should be dropped from the controlled-substances list and instead regulated like alcohol.

“It is time for the DEA to act,” the lawmakers wrote. “Right now, the Administration has the opportunity to resolve more than 50 years of failed, racially discriminatory marijuana policy.”

Federal drug policy has lagged behind many states in recent years, with 38 having already legalized medical marijuana and 24 legalizing its recreational use.

That’s helped fuel fast growth in the marijuana industry, with an estimated worth of nearly $30 billion. Easing federal regulations could reduce the tax burden that can be 70% or more for businesses, according to industry groups. It could also make it easier to research marijuana, since it’s very difficult to conduct authorized clinical studies on Schedule I substances.

The immediate effect of rescheduling on the nation’s criminal justice system would likely be more muted, since federal prosecutions for simple possession have been fairly rare in recent years.

But loosening restrictions could carry a host of unintended consequences in the drug war and beyond.

Critics point out that as a Schedule III drug, marijuana would remain regulated by the DEA. That means the roughly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries in the U.S. would have to register with the DEA like regular pharmacies and fulfill strict reporting requirements, something that they are loath to do and that the DEA is ill equipped to handle.

Then there’s the United States' international treaty obligations, chief among them the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which requires the criminalization of cannabis. In 2016, during the Obama administration, the DEA cited the U.S.’ international obligations and the findings of a federal court of appeals in Washington in denying a similar request to reschedule marijuana.

[crescent-blades]

Hello! Can I request dating headcanons for michikatsu (modern?), I read your kokushibo one and I really loved it, and I was curious about his modern version. If you can, then id love it! Thank you :)-yours truly, anon

Modern!Kokushibo | Dating Headcanons

Pairings ⌇Modern AU Kokushibō/Michikatsu × Reader

A/N ⌇Ofc, anon! Although I am afraid I did sort of rush this one a bit as I did not have much time at hand; but I truly hope this suffices! <33 [I also hope I didn't make this post too grey and depressing.. lmao]

𖤐ˎˊ˗Masterlist

▪︎Kokushibō was a serious, no nonsense man, fully devoted to his role as the most reliable secretary for one of the biggest politicians in the country, Muzan Kibutsuji. 

▪︎The idea of entering a relationship, marrying, and eventually starting a family was far from his thoughts; Kokushibō simply had no interest in those aspects of life. To him, a family was just something that put extra responsibilities on your shoulders.

▪︎His true passion lay solely in his work and his dedication to being an iaido master—nothing else truly held any significance in his heart. In truth, he found it preferable for him to steer clear of romantic entanglements at all.

▪︎Or at least, that's what he used to believe.. until he met you.  

▪︎Many might assume Kokushibō would be drawn to someone similar to himself—cold and unyielding, stoic and strict. However, the truth is quite the opposite.

▪︎He would find himself drawn to someone who is soft-spoken, someone who is emotionally mature, and conducts themselves with grace. Not the overly dainty darling type, but rather someone whose demeanour brings forth sensitivity while also being able to stand firm, knowing when to speak up.

Kokushibō admires hard work and discipline, and he seeks someone with a determination that mirrors his own.

▪︎Even if Kokushibō would initially not openly admit his feelings for you, and despite his attempts to maintain an air of indifference around you and in front of others, his actions revealed a different story—one that clearly indicated his interest in you. 

▪︎ At first, Kokushibō would simply engage in conversations with you, getting to know you better as well as sharing some aspects of his own life. Simple gestures such as opening the door for you, pulling back the seat for you, and whatnot.

▪︎If you were to reciprocate the feelings back to him, his feelings for you would only deepen. [If not, then he would be mature about it and apologise for any time spent.]  

▪︎"Kokushibō's" feelings would slowly grow for you, and you both would officially enter into a relationship. It was during this period that 'Kokushibo' chose to share his true name with you, inviting you to call him "Michikatsu" in private instead of using his alias.   

▪︎And that would also be the period when you would start to notice a change in Michikatsu, as he became noticeably warmer towards you.

▪︎His once simple acts of service slowly turned into thoughtful gifts. He often surprised you with boxes of chocolates, left beautiful flowers on your work desk, and expressed concern for your well-being.

▪︎Whenever you were late getting home, he would call to check on you, ensuring you were safe. Many a times, he would order some tea or coffee for you during breaks.  

▪︎Being in a relationship with Michikatsu meant that nobody else could even dare to look at you the wrong way, considering how big and imposing he really was. Subtle gestures as he made it clear to everyone that you were only his. 

▪︎While Michikatsu wasn't overly affectionate, especially in public, he would often at times hold your hand or gently place his hand on your lower back to guide you through the streets, letting his large frame shield you from any unwanted bumps or pushes. 

▪︎Michikatsu was an imposing man, difficult to approach, but towards you—he had developed an increasingly softer side.

▪︎He would remember everything you would tell him, noting each and every detail about you and remembering everything. 

▪︎One time, you remember briefly mentioning your favourite band/TV series to him just once, and the very next day, he surprised you with tickets to see them perform live/watch it when it aired in the theatres. 

▪︎Michikatsu, although stoic, would be incredibly attentive and caring towards you. And once he is set on being your lover, he will dedicate himself to showing you that he is the right choice.

▪︎He will court you and pursue you with genuine effort.

[igot-the-juice]

Serenity - Chapter 5

Masterlist

Summary - Vulgaria was a remote country, held its own beauty quite unlike others. Everything about it was peculiar. The village, the castle, the people. In the village sat a rather famed tailor shop, and the recluse that was its head seamstress unknowingly caught the eye of a notorious henchman of the barbaric Baron Bomburst. Accepting a tempting offer, what was supposed to be a simple project began to meddle with her already disorganized family, and little did she know her sanity would soon follow.

They didn't know how long they had been sitting on the carriage, and thankfully no one else had used the road or passed them for Mary's sake. The majority of it was spent in a pleasant silence, but there were moments of simple conversation Reuben offered that helped to ease her nerves. Mary would be lying if she said she wasn't stalling her return, it applied to both of them really.

Reuben would never admit it, but he found it relieving talking to someone outside the castle in such a civil conversation. He couldn't care less what the other villagers thought or had to say, but Mary? She had a fascinating mind. He wanted to understand the complexity of it, to discover more about her. How could someone seem so simple yet so complicated at the same time?

He looked over at her as she gazed at the sky whose bright sun prepared to set, taking in the moment of peace. Birds chirped and flew around above them, the wind gently blowing through her braided hair as the sound of a nearby creek settled in to create its own natural sense of calmness. It was moments like these she wished lasted forever. But no matter how much she wanted to stay, she knew she had to return home at some point.

"I should get going." Mary muttered with a sigh.

"Why do you insist on staying with him?" The question caught her off guard and she furrowed her brow.

"He's not the reason I insist on staying." She answered as she stepped down with the help of Reuben. "Believe me, if it wasn't for my mother, I'd be out of there quicker than a dog with a bone." Mary chuckled distastefully. "I suppose we'll run into each other again eventually."

"Under different circumstances, I hope?" He questioned with raised brows.

"Yes. Very much hopefully." She watched him for a moment, biting her lip and turning to leave before she stopped herself. "Thank you." She came to face him once more, granting him a genuine smile. "It means a lot to me." Mary then began her journey back to the shop, leaving him to stare after her disappearing figure.

It threw him off. He couldn't remember the last time someone smiled at him, or thanked him. Not the old greeting or just for manner's sake, but a real smile. Let alone directed at him. Shortly after leaving he thought about it again. And again. And many times over until he finally fell asleep.

The plaza was quiet by the time she returned. The chickens clucking and wandering aimlessly was the only noise to be heard besides the usual ambiance. What surprised her was that the doors of the shop were still wide open. She crept up to them. As she inched closer she heard the faint noise of someone sobbing, growing louder and louder until she finally peered inside.

On the floor of the shop sat her father leaning against one of the legs of the table, an empty cup tipped over beside him. The room was dark save for what was left of the sunset. It was a depressing sight, really. It's not that it was uncommon for him to behave in such a way, rather it was just never in front of Mary or her mother.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to alarm him, didn't want him to notice her at all. He could change on a dime at any second. But alas, fate wasn't on her side. A floorboard creaked beneath her foot and she grimaced as her father picked his head up to look at her. His sobbing suddenly grew more intense and Mary almost sympathized with him.

Almost.

"Mary," he wailed. "I'm so sorry, Mary," She began making her way upstairs as he continued, desperate to get away from him. "I'm sorry!" Was the last thing she heard before she made her way into her parents' bedroom with careful footing. As she creeped the door open her mother came into view, sitting up in their bed with her eyes closed. Mary's eyes softened as she gazed upon her a second longer.

"Liebling?" The frail woman called softly just as Mary turned to leave. She looked back at her mother who now had her eyes open, never looking weaker than in that moment. It was a sight. One that frightened Mary greatly.

She made her way over to their bed and sat on the edge next to her mother, placing a hand over her own. As they looked at each other the day's events rushed through Mary's mind. The image of her father, the yelling. Her mother lying almost lifeless. As tears began to spill they enveloped each other in a warm embrace as if it was their last time able to do so.

"I'm sorry, ma. I'm so sorry," Mary cried into her shoulder. "I left you with him, I'm sorry -" She was cut off by her mother shushing her, running her fingers over her scalp in a comforting motion.

"You did what you had to, liebling." Her mother slowly pulled away and cupped her daughter's cheeks, giving her a stern look. "If that ever happens again," the older woman swallowed. "And if I'm not so lucky -"

"Don't say that -" Mary shook her head.

"You run." Her mother gave a firm nod. "You run far away from here and do not come back, do you understand?"

"I can't just leave you here -"

"Do you understand?" Mary shut her mouth and her lip began to quiver.

She couldn't ever leave her mother to rot with such a man. Nothing would quell the amount of guilt that would follow. But most of all, she could never deny her mother. A few seconds passed before she nodded in agreement and was pulled in once more.

"I want to protect you, mein liebling. I can't do that if I'm not around." She whispered solemnly as more tears fell.

"Where would I go?" Her mother was silent as she thought for a moment.

"I don't know. But you're no good dead, now are you?" Mary heard her smile, a simple jest to lighten their spirits. "I'm sure someone out there is in need of your talent." Mary averted her eyes bashfully with a smile. 

"I think someone already is." Her mother tucked a piece of hair behind her daughter's ear.

"Is that where you were all this time?" Mary nodded. "You have been visiting with him quite often recently."

"He's a customer."

"Well, you're never around your other customers this much with such a request."

"He's a picky customer?" The two of them giggled as if they were just two teenage girls.

It made her mother feel young again, made her giddy knowing her daughter possibly found someone. Even if it would be just an acquaintance, it was still someone. Would she have wanted it to be the Child Catcher? Absolutely not, but as long as her daughter was happy and he didn't hurt her, she didn't see the harm in it.

"But he seemed to love one of the designs I drew up for him. Hopefully it'll turn out."

"Knowing your work, liebling, it'll be much better than he's expecting."

"I hope so..."

The two of them stayed up later in the night talking to each other about whatever came to mind. Her mother continued asking questions about the catcher while Mary tried steering away from the topic. It was a much needed moment for the two of them after the day they had. Eventually, Mary made her way to her own bed to at least get a few hours of sleep, and it was surprisingly easier for her that night.

She repeated the same morning routine, working the shop with the usual grouchy customers when a familiar face grew closer. An old man with a slight hunch meandered his way through the plaza towards her shop, riding on a cart filled with goods he'd collected and traded along the way. "Good morning, Miss Mary!" He chirped with a friendly smile as he turned to face the pile behind him to grab a larger box.

"Good morning, Mr. Weber!" The woman returned, taking the box from him. He leaned down closer to her to keep his next words between the two of them.

"Some fancy material you got there, milady. I'd keep it in a safe spot away from prying eyes if I were you." He sat up straight with a wink. "I was finally able to find more silk, if you need it? Or some chiffon?" He continued rummaging through his cart. "Ah!" He pulled out a large bundle of sheer fabric, accented with silver. "This was a rather special find of mine. I had it in safe keeping on the way here. I knew for sure you'd have a use for it, my dear." He passed it off to her as she gawked at the beauty of it, ideas flooding.

"How much?"

"Free of charge! And there's no room for bargaining." He offered another wink and rattled the reins to take off once more. "Take care, Miss Mary!" The woman watched him disappear down the street with a smile, then moved to put away the new fabric before setting the box on the center table.

It was a rather simple brown box. No one would ever suspect it held something of importance. She supposed it was for the best. She thought about waiting to open it when she was alone, but her curiosity ended up getting the best of her and she carefully opened it. What first caught her eye was the carefully folded fabric, both yellow and orange.

She ran her fingers over the smooth texture in awe. Never had she owned a piece so elegant and made sure to handle it with great care as she took it out and set it on a nearby rack. The rest of the items consisted of the material for the more detailed designs of the coat and the typical basic necessities. 

Unable to contain her excitement she giggled cheerfully, immediately putting herself to work on the design. She cleared off the center table and laid everything she needed on top of it, including her sketchbook. She switched between helping customers and her new project relentlessly, continuing to work after hours even if her hands were cramping and sore. It took her mother hollering for her to eat for her to stop herself.

She cleaned up her mess and tucked everything away out of sight, making her way upstairs to take a seat at the dining table. As they ate she noticed her mother and father casting her looks, though her mother's was more knowing and playful.

"What's got you so happy, huh?" Charles grumbled in discontent, scratching at his stubble.

"Mr. Weber stopped by today with more supplies." After a moment he hummed and went back to eating, missing the exchange of looks between the two women.

[whyfightforwomensrights]

Blog #2

Rowan Bean, Leading Social Change

The History of Women’s Movements in the U.S. 

The origin of gender inequality starts with the formation of our country and the U.S Constitution. 

Look at who wrote our constitution, for example. It was rich white men who owned land,

therefore they were the only ones who were considered citizens and were the only ones who

could vote. “...by today’s standards, it is impossible to deny that the original Constitution was a

racist and sexist document or that the Framers wrote it in a way that benefited them” (Women, 

Power, and Politics, n.d.). There isn’t much information on women’s history in this era 

because most of the information was written by white men, whose center of interest were other 

white men. However, I have learned much from another class, Women and Politics, about this 

subject. In this era of American Revolution, many women accepted their role of unequal status

without question, but there were others who took an active interest in political life and who 

became increasingly dissatisfied with their continued exclusion. The new “enlightened” ideas of 

liberty, equality, and democracy that were being discussed by men, were echoed among 

educated women. Abigail Adams was an advocate of married women’s property rights and a 

right to education. She believed women should not submit to laws not made in their interest, not

should they be content with the simple role of being companions to their husbands. She is most 

famously known for her letter to her husband, John Adams, and the Continental Congress: 

“—and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to 

make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them 

than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. 

Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to 

the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any 

Laws in which we have no”. (Founders Online, n.d.)

Throughout the American Revolutionary War, women would produce goods for soldiers, spy on the British, follow armies as they marched, wash and cook for soldiers, deliver secret messages, and fight disguised as men. Women who followed the army were referred to as “necessary nuisances” and “baggage” by commanding officers. Deborah Samson (aka Robert Shirtliffe) disguised herself as a man for years. She served on the front lines during the entire Revolutionary War and was wounded twice where she was then discovered as a female. 

The “formal” women's rights movement began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention in which they were  convened by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cody Stanton. The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolution was written by Stanton which included a demand for economic and property rights, denouncement of slavery, discrimination in education, exploitation of women in the workforce, the patriarchal family, divorce and child custody laws, and organized religion as “perpetuating women’s oppression. Around then, many feminist ideologies were formed and a cohesive structure for the suffrage movement had been formed. The American Equal Rights Association was formed in 1869 to fight for universal suffrage, but was disbanded due to internal conflicts regarding the political priorities of the group. The National Woman's Suffrage Association was formed by Stanton and Susan B Anthony which eventually became the League of Women Voters in 1920 and continues to this day.  Lastly, the American Woman Suffrage Association formed in 1989 by Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell to fight for suffrage state-by-state. 

In the 1960s, the second wave of feminism arose. The publication of Betty Friedaris’ book, The Feminine Mystique was revolutionary for gender roles because it highlighted the roles of housewives in a more modern setting. Another revolutionary act from this era was the 1973 case of Roe v Wade allowing abortions within the first three months of pregnancy. However there was more backlash in the 1970s and 1980s after this ruling. The more pro-choice movements came to be, the more pro-life came into effect as well. Divisions arose between moderate feminists who intended to represent the view of middle and upper class white women, and radical feminists who wanted to broaden the movement to all aspects of society. 

Third wave feminism was more pro-woman and less anti-male. Writers Susan Fauldi and Naomi Wolf represented a new generation of popular feminist writing. Women were also dominating media influence, such as Thelma and Louise, a popular movie revolving around the idea of women not following societal expectations. “Stealth Feminists” was a term used with the third wave due to the media’s backlash. The word “feminist” had a bad energy attached to it, leading people to be hesitant when using it. 

Founders Online: Abigail Adams to John Adams, 31 March 1776. (n.d.). University of Virginia Press. Retrieved October 21, 2023, from http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-01-02-0241https://reader.yuzu.com/reader/books/9780190857424/pageid/0

Seneca Falls and Building a Movement, 1776&ndash;1890 | Explore | Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote | Exhibitions at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress. (n.d.). [Web page]. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved October 22, 2023, from https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/women-fight-for-the-vote/about-this-exhibition/seneca-falls-and-building-a-movement-1776-1890/

Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment. (2016, August 15). National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/woman-suffrage

Yuzu: Women, Power, and Politics. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2023, from https://reader.yuzu.com/reader/books/9780190857424/pageid/0

[cactiired]

Giving some additional context for the that will make your skin crawl lol CW: for blood and death

Ok so me and the dm have been discussing what Avira's final arc should be. Since a big part of her current one had been getting more powerful, almost reaching her potential.... I have also been planning on switching to Erisna for a long time so

we were thinking about either

1. Death as she's the key to releasing her patron from their prison (thats why the whole shadow thing. The patron is a god of time that was trapped due to some wars between gods etc etc and it ended up making shadowfell, feywild and the material plane experience time differently.) After the party would find their way through a maze that the god has been trapped in she suddenly goes limp and falls to the floor, dead. Blood comes out of her nose, eyes, mouth... a horrifying sight for the other party members for sure. The god would then appear in their more material form and would teleport the party back outside.

2. Corruption arc/becoming a hand of god and separating from the party willingly. This one narratively did not make much sense because her patron has always been very absent. She had no clue what the patron's true intentions were and only agreed to the pact to get a second chance at life and to find her mother. Who btw turned out to be dead...

But... we decided to combine these two. She does die which sets the god free. She is revived somehow but it's not quite right. She essentially becomes more similar to the shadow form of the patron. A creature that resembles Avira but looks off. The only way I could describe the vibes is THAT scene in the movie Kairo. If you know...you know. The plan is that she will be a straight up villain.

I as a player would in any case switch to playing as Erisna. Which makes this whole thing even more terriffying because now this girl who they had loved and who literally saved them from a slow and agonizing death in a prison cell, whose last words (sending spell) to them were "Don't you dare get captured or die I need to see you after I get out of here." Dies herself and not only that but theres now a fucked up haunting reminder of her out there that is actively a danger to the party.

The way Erisna remembers Avira is what she was like as a charming and lively circus performer who lived a simple and comfortable life, performing around in different countries. They remember her as someone who was extremely naive when it came to the world's horrors. As someone who gave Erisna hope after they had lived years emotionally shut off from other people, afraid to be vulnurable and afraid to care. Of course avira changed A LOT throughout the years the two didn't see each other but Erisna didn't know about most of it. They had no clue what Avira had done to stay alive.

And now to imagine that being the person that eventually gets a fate worse than death...

I gave you your time, now your soul is mine

[thebirdandhersong]

Project 4 and Anne of the Island (miniseries) please?

!!!!! Thank you :) My Anne of the Island has a lot of laughter in it. Anne and her friends have a lot of fun together, going on walks, baking cakes, studying together, eating together. I have so many moments I think would be lovely to include: Stella spreading her notes on the ground when she’s studying for exams, the Overdramatic music whenever Roy appears, the vase on the table (the flowers change according to the season, and there are a lot of shots when someone replaces the flowers: like when a suitor sends new flowers), Anne praying as she walks under the trees, Mrs. Lynde is in the middle of writing a letter to Anne when the pig incident happens (I can just see her telling Marilla that she absolutely Must tell Anne about it after they close the door).... Anne reads a lot of poetry, there is a parallel shot/contrast drawn between Phil greeting her suitors at the beginning of the school year vs. Phil greeting Jonas when he comes to visit her. Anne tears off Gilbert’s necklace, but we lead up to that with shots throughout the episodes before of her opening the little box and just gazing at it.

Project 4 has my Whole Heart (well.... I think all of them do, but Project 4 surprised me). I just had these vivid images in my head one night and HAD to hammer them out (I went to bed at three I think? But it was well worth it) When I first started writing little snippets of scenes, I was in the mood for Blood and Vengeance (this was when I was very into Asian historical dramas and the idea of a warrior queen rising from the ashes). Juyi (my main character) was going to start as this simple country girl. She was going to be battered and pushed back on all fronts after entering the palace: she was going to experience cruelty and manipulation from nearly everyone she met (the king and queen, the royal advisors, the tailors, the foreign ambassadors, the lords and ladies of the court, the king’s concubines, her own ladies-in-waiting). Everyone views her as either a cunning, scheming swindler after the throne or a simple-minded idiot drawn in by the promise of wealth and luxury. She’s criticised for her honesty, for the colour of her skin, for her lack of knowledge concerning court manners etc. etc., for.... everything. And she was going to establish herself as a force of nature by playing their game better than they could. I’m not sure why I wanted her to be a warrior queen, but I found the idea of an uprooted girl winning these battles and reforming the court AND the country rather cathartic. My plan was to show how meaningless and shallow all the values of the royal court--luxury, wealth, material possessions, the pursuit of beauty and attention, etc.--through her eyes.

But somewhere along the way I thought that I didn’t want to write a story about revenge and war (this was after I’d read a couple of fantasy books with similar premises, and I didn’t feel that it was cathartic, or very helpful for anyone involved). It’s easy enough to become just as cruel and manipulative as the world around you when you’re plunged into such a dangerous position. It’s easy to play the game by the rules when you know you need to do it to survive. But I wanted Juyi to do better than that, to be better than that. And to change the way things were, since she was in this position. (Some inspiration taken from the book of Esther!)

So Juyi IS forced into a marriage with a handsome and charming crown prince who is equal parts clueless, self-absorbed, and shallow. She IS forced to live in a palace where nearly everyone is self-serving and ambitious. She IS forced to deal with men and women who look down on her and make multiple attempts on her life. And she DOES have to change and adapt to this new and dangerous environment for her own survival. But in this story, the choice she makes is even more dangerous and radical than choosing to be cruel. She chooses to be kind.

The story takes place in the palace (for most of the book, at least), and Juyi makes it her responsibility to get to know the lowest of the low in the palace ranks. She makes friends with the servants, gains the trust of her ladies-in-waiting, and proves her resilience to the people who have been trying to get rid of her. She eventually earns the love and respect of the people because she takes the time to study and understand the state of trade, the economy, the parts of the country that need housing and food, the systems that hold the country together--or bind them in chains. She sees what goes on in the palace and she sneaks off to the countryside and the red light district, and she says No. Things cannot continue in this way. So she decides to use this power that she has as future queen to make a difference in her country. And the story goes on from there :)

[senditcolton]

Meet Me at Midnight

summary: navigating your job of being the official portrait artist for the Svechnikov royal family was hard enough. trying to keep your forbidden romance with the crown prince added another layer of difficulty. but whenever you were with Andrei... the impossible seemed within reach (inspired by this moodboard from @suitandtys​​)

songs: x x word count: 3.2k warnings: royalty!au (the prince and the painter) and mentions of anxiety. 

Life was simple before this. You had scratched out a living as a painter in the village underneath the looming shadow of the royal castle, walking into houses that you could never dream of owning yourself for brief moments, just to memorialize the exorbitant wealth of the families whose only desire was to flaunt it even more. It true that it wasn’t much of a life but it was yours. You lived independently, made your own money, spent your time doing something you truly loved. And it was simple.

Or, more accurately, it used to be simple.

That all changed the day you were hired by the royal family themselves. Hired to paint a royal portrait that would be sent across the country to attract a royal match.

A portrait of His Royal Highness, the Prince of Karolyna, Andrei Svechnikov.

You were honored that knowledge of your talent had made its way up to the ears of the monarchy. But if you were being honest with yourself, you were also terrified. You were young and had no family left. If the prince didn’t like his portrait or if you accidentally insulted the him or anything of the kind, you would be ruined, forced into poverty and left to die.

So, when the day came and you were escorted into a private room filled with guards and some of the most powerful people in the nation, it was safe to say that you were petrified.

But then Andrei walked into the room. And when your eyes met, you were struck with the profound knowledge that although you had been painting the world for as long as you could remember, you had only seen it muted hues. When you met Andrei, the universe exploded into screaming color.

The first day had been tense, however, it was made easier every time you looked up to see Andrei staring at you with those dark brown eyes. And when you returned to continue your work the next day, the prince noticed your anxiety and ordered everyone to leave the room apart from his personal guard Pyotr.

He explained his actions and you had thanked him before resuming your work. And that was the way it continued every session afterwards: you and him sitting for hours in quiet candlelight, your eyes dancing across his frame as you pay attention to every detail and his eyes studying you just as intently. Your paint-stained fingers, your furrowed brow, your pulled back hair.

Eventually, the prince would have Pyotr stand outside of the room leaving you two alone. The first time it happened, you had assumed the worst. You knew the stink of privilege and how men wielded it like a sword. You thought a prince wouldn’t be any different but you soon learned his intentions were never anything but pure. He just wanted to talk to you, freely, as he confessed. Wanted you to feel free to talk to him. And eventually, the conversation between the two of you flowed as easy as water in a stream.

There was a spark between the two of you. You couldn’t deny or explain it but it was the truth. However, you knew nothing would come of it. As soon as you were done with the portrait, you would be paid then sent away to resume your life as normal. This would just be a fleeting, albeit magical, moment. Nothing more.

And that was exactly what it was until shortly after your employment ended, you were summoned again for an audience with the king and queen. There in the dazzling throne room, you were offered a permanent residency in the palace as the royal family’s official portrait artist.

You accepted the offer graciously, the entire time being hyperaware of Prince Andrei’s eyes on you from his spot behind his father’s throne. And it wasn’t a surprise when he found his way into your new palace studio shortly after your investiture.

At first, it was always under the guise of business: he was relaying a message or checking your progress or requesting a commission. He even asked you to paint another portrait of him, one that would remain in the castle. A task you were more than happy to take on if it meant the two of you could continue as you used to.

It was in the quiet of your studio did things start to change for you – and the prince.

It began as gentle trepidation, his questions veering from business to more personal inquiries about your life, your family, yourself. You returned the favor by asking him about his own life and willingly listened to him talk about tax levies, foreign affairs, the new stallion he bought, his elder brothers adventures at sea.

This turned into hours spent talking instead of painting, private dinners in the studio, Andrei joining you to silently work on his own duties while you created. Soon, Andrei was requesting your company in the garden, seeking you out at parties where you painted silently in the corner, and spent more time in your studio than in his personal quarters. It even led to him requesting a painting lesson from you, which led to even closer contact, whispers of praise and encouragement, lingering glances, and delicate touches.

It was a night in your studio, alone with him, where the trajectory of your life truly and irrevocably changed. It was the night he kissed you for the first time.

When you first laid your eyes on him, the world changed color. When his lips connected with yours, he revealed colors that you hadn’t known existed.

What used to be just a job turned into a forbidden romance, filled with stolen moments and long nights tangled together, staring at the ceiling. You were in love. You loved Andrei and he loved you. That much you were certain of. But you were also certain of your reality: you were a commoner and he was a prince. He was destined to marry a princess and inherit his father’s throne whereas you…

It didn’t stop you from wanting.

Even now, as you watch the flurry of gowns spinning around the crowded ballroom, watch as every fair maiden flaunts herself to try and catch the prince’s attention and secure a position as his betrothed, you can’t take your eyes off of Andrei weaving his way through the crowd. And even though the party was meant to secure a match for the eligible young prince, Andrei couldn’t keep his eyes from wandering over to you, hidden behind your easel in the corner.

With a brief shake of your head, you focus back onto your canvas and lift your paintbrush to continue your work, capturing the extravagance of the party around you. You attempt to lose yourself in the process; it was the one place where you had always found comfort and peace. And for a moment, it works until you lift your head and see Andrei weaving through the crowd, making his way over to you. Hastily, you wipe the paint off your hands and rise from your stool just as he arrives in front of you.

“My lady,” he says politely, giving you a deep bow.

“Your Highness,” you reply, curtsying before raising your body and connect your eyes to Andrei. The two of you falter momentarily, your shared desires fighting against the status quo that you were both trapped in. Andrei clears his throat before continuing.

“How are you getting on?”

“I’m doing quite well, thank you for asking, Your Highness.”

“Is there anything you need?” he questions. “More paint? New brushes? Better light?”

“Thank you for your concern but I am set for now,” you say, observing him as intently as you always had. Noticing the tension in his shoulders, watching how his eyes flit around the room nervously but softened whenever he looked at you.

“Understandable. I will leave you to your work then,” Andrei says, as he holds out a hand to you. You accept his silent request, slipping your hand in his and watching as he brings it up to his lips, kissing it gently with a bow. “If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. I will.”

Andrei shoots you a gentle smile, his thumb delicately swiping against your knuckles once before he pulls his hand away. And as he does, you can feel him press a small folded piece of paper into your palm. You try not to react, concealing the note in the folds of your apron, your eyes following Andrei as he disappears into the crowd, only being able to steal one more glance back towards you.

You return to your seat and start to paint again, glancing around the room in what would have appeared to be taking in your surroundings. In reality, you were checking to make sure no one was paying attention to you. Even though you were often seen as the equivalent to another servant, you were still cautious as occasionally, your skills caught the eye of the nobles flitting about the room. When you determine that you were safe, you remove the folded parchment from your pocket and read the words hastily scrawled there.

Meet me at midnight. My room. The balcony.

A quick glance at the clock shows the hours between then and now. Adjusting your posture, you focus back onto your canvas, praying that time may pass by swiftly. It seems as if your wishes were answered because before you knew it, you had lost track of Andrei in the crowd and another glance at the clock showed you it was almost midnight.

You remove yourself from your spot in the corner, skirting around the perimeter of the room, keeping your head down. You manage to make it to the main exit leading to the rest of the palace but as you press on the door, a guard stops you.

“Where are you headed?”

“To my studio, sir. To pick up more paint,” you answer, head low.

“Be quick about it,” comes his reply and you curtsy lightly before disappearing from the room.

Your feet move fast across the padded floor, climbing the grand staircase with as much haste as you could muster. But instead of taking a right to head to your apartments, you turn left and begin to wander down the winding hallways, a path that you had taken many times under the cover of darkness, the path that led to Andrei.

Rounding the final corner, your eyes land on the doors to Andrei’s chambers, his personal guard Pyotr standing just outside them. You walk towards him silently and as soon as his eyes land on you, he scans the hallway for anyone else before opening the door and ushering you inside.

This was not the first time Andrei asked to see you in his room and it was not the first time Pyotr was complicit in your and Andrei’s tryst. But Andrei had explained to you that he saw Pyotr as more than a guard but as a true friend; someone who would die for him and keep his secrets to the grave. Andrei’s assurance made you trust Pyotr as well and you wouldn’t deny that having an armored guarantee that the two of you wouldn’t get caught helped to calm your nerves.

In the moonlight, you creep around Andrei’s bed and desk scattered with documents towards the open balcony doors. There you spy the prince, his hands resting on the stone railing and his back to you. You clear your throat gently, causing Andrei to turn and face you.

“Your Highness,” you say with a brief curtsy.

“I told you not to call me that when we’re alone,” he smiles, to which you gladly return his grin. You walk towards him, Andrei moving as well and it isn’t long before the two of you meet each other in the center of the balcony. The feeling of one of Andrei’s hands pressing into the small of your back relaxes you, as does his other hand cupping your jaw. You look up into his soft eyes before he pulls you in and kisses you passionately. You return the kiss with as much desperation and desire. The two of you continue like that for a few moments before finally pulling away from each other. But you don’t move far. You stay close, your foreheads touching, your arms thrown around his shoulders, your hands tangled into the hair at the nape of his neck.

“I’ve been wanting to do that as soon as I laid eyes on you tonight,” Andrei whispers to you.

“I’ll admit, I had the same feeling,” you giggle, sending a chuckle through Andrei as well. “Is that why you called me here?” you continue. “Just to kiss me?”

“It wasn’t the only reason but I won’t deny it was a part of it,” he quips back, drawing another bought of laughter from you. “But what I really wanted to do was dance with you.”

“Dance? With me?”

“Yes. I would’ve much preferred it if we were able to dance together in the ballroom. But…”

He didn’t have to finish his sentence; you both know how it ends. In every clandestine meeting you two shared, neither of you spoke the truth that weighed heavily, preferring instead to remain in this dizzying daydream of ignorance.

You wouldn’t break that fantasy tonight.

You nod your head gently, a silent acceptance of his request to which you see Andrei’s eyes alight. You feel his elegant fingers move on the small of your back, untying the knot that held your apron in place before tracing up your spine and hooking his fingers underneath the strap around your neck. He lifts the strap over your head, removing the paint splattered fabric from your frame before resting it on the railing.

He turns back to you, that beautiful smile on his lips and takes you up in his arms. You throw your arms around him in return before the two of you begin to sway, the only accompaniment to your movements being the swishing of your skirt against the stone and the chirping of insects in the darkness.

You let yourself get lost in the feeling of being wrapped up in him, the warmth of the summer air, and joy of being alone with him, just the two of you dancing in the lavender night. It is clear to you that Andrei feels the same way; you notice it in the way he holds you closer, how his lips press into your hair.

“I love you.”

Those whispered words reach your ear and there is small pause before you truly register their meaning. You pull away, a hand resting on his chest, the surprise painted on your face. It wasn’t that his words were a shocking revelation; it was more so his brazen confession that startled you.

“What?”

“I love you,” Andrei restates, just as self-assured as before. “I thought that it would be obvious.”

“But – you’re the prince,” you stutter out. “This – us… it isn’t right.”

“I am,” he says, his hand coming to cup your jaw once more, drawing your eyes to his, his thumb gently brushing your bottom lip. “And it isn’t. But that doesn’t prevent me from falling for you.” Your eyes lock with his as you stand there in the moonlight, his words hanging over you both.

“Where is all this coming from Andrei?” you ask and you watch how your words sink into him. The initial reply you get from him is a short humorless chuckle.

“How do you do that?” he questions.

“Do what?”

“See me so clearly.”

“I’m a painter,” you lightly laugh, “It’s my job to notice the little things.” You feel Andrei’s chest rise beneath your palm as he breathes a heavy sigh, gathering his thoughts before speaking again.

“Tonight, when I was dancing with all the eligible ladies that my parents arranged for me to meet, I realized that every one of them only wanted me for my titles. For my crown. They didn’t see me as a person. They just saw a prince. But you… you see me. And I don’t mean in the way that you see other people, through a painter’s eye. No, you see me for who I am, who I truly am. My flaws, my history, my melancholy. And still, you accept me, completely.”

You listen to his words, allowing them to invade your heart and fill you with his love.

“And I know how this next part is going to sound,” Andrei continues, “but tonight, I am supposed to find my future wife. My betrothed. And I realized I already found her.”

With that statement, he pulls away from you and it takes a moment for you to register what he is about to do. It hits you mere seconds before Andrei drops to one knee in front of you, looking everything like the prince from all the fairy tales.

“If you feel the same way as I do, which I believe you do, I wanted to ask you if you would marry me.”

You watch as he reaches into a pocket within the lining of his jacket and you aren’t sure what you expected him to reveal to you but your mind flashes with images of massive sapphires, sparkling diamonds, beautiful emeralds, or even the Svechnikov ruby. Instead, Andrei pulls out a small braided loop of what looked to be multi-colored string.

“I wish I could give you a proper ring but this will have to do for now.  It's braided twine from the edge of your canvases. It’s not much but, still. So now, my lady, I formally ask you: will you marry me?”

“I… I don’t know what to say,” you speak, the words faltering.

“Just say yes.”

The overwhelming emotions cascade in your head: shock, confusion, fear. But even though the buzz invading your brain was deafening, it couldn’t drown out the beating of your heart and its loud steadfast truth. The truth that you knew from the moment you laid eyes on him that first fateful day.

“I love you, Andrei. And yes. Yes. I will happily marry you.”

A smile breaks out on his face and it is mere moments before Andrei surges up to meet you, scooping you into his arms and lifting you, spinning you around on the balcony. You cannot stop the laughter that escapes you, your heart feeling lighter than it ever had before. Andrei gently sets you down and takes your hand in his, sliding the makeshift ring onto your finger. You let yourself adjust to the feeling of it against your skin before smiling up at Andrei once more. He shares your smile before leaning forward and capturing your lips in a kiss so full of love that it paled in comparison to every other kiss you two had shared thus far.

Both of you remain that way for a moment, happy and contented, until you finally pull away and voice the one concern that had always lingered in your mind since this romance begin.

“You do realize there are rules against us getting married.”

“Yes. But when I ascend the throne, I will simply overturn them,” Andrei replied, that cocky arrogance that you had grown to love appearing. Your only response is a light laugh.

“That’s going to take a lot of work.”

“I know,” Andrei says, lifting your chin and leaning into you until his lips barely brush against yours. “But, the promise of being able to call you mine forever, will be worth it.”

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[afeelgoodblog]

Best News of Last Week

Edition #017 - Hope you had a great weekend. Let's read some positive news:

1. Albuquerque has new response to 911 calls involving mentally ill people The New Mexico city created a third branch of public safety, in addition to the police and fire departments, staffed by behavioral health responders.

Now, Albuquerque is changing the way it responds to 911 calls like the one Maestas placed for her sister. In addition to police and paramedics, residents have access to a third branch of public safety: behavioral health responders.

“We’re not law enforcement, so we’re not here to cite you,” said Mariela Ruiz-Angel, director of Albuquerque Community Safety, or ACS, an independent agency alongside the police and fire departments that can be sent out by 911 dispatchers. “We’re just here to check on you. How can we help?”

2. In Extremely Rare Case, a Woman With HIV Has 'Cleared' The Virus Without Treatment

An anonymous woman from Argentina has become only the second person known to ever show no detectable traces of an HIV infection without receiving a stem cell transplantation treatment to cure it.

The so-called 'Esperanza patient', named after her hometown in Argentina, was first diagnosed with HIV-1 in 2013 – but after eight years of follow-up checks and a total of 10 commercial viral load tests, there appears to be no sign of active viral infection in her body, nor any evidence of HIV-1-associated disease.

3. My favourite Thanksgiving tradition... 6 years and counting!

Valley grandma and man she mistakenly texted reuniting for sixth Thanksgiving

4. Monarch butterflies return to California after a year of record low numbers

There is a ray of hope for the vanishing orange-and-black Western monarch butterflies.

The number wintering along California’s central coast is bouncing back after the population, whose presence is often a good indicator of ecosystem health, reached an all-time low last year. Experts pin their decline on climate change, habitat destruction and lack of food due to drought.

5. There's a link between being kind to others and happiness, UBC researcher says

Today marks World Kindness Day, and it turns out that being kind toward others may be key to our own happiness, a psychology expert says.

Studies have shown a "causal link where, when people behave in this generous, kind way, they actually end up happier themselves," said Elizabeth Dunn, a psychology professor and happiness researcher from the University of British Columbia (UBC).

6. Toronto company is making shoes that grow into apple trees to eliminate plastic waste

A Toronto designer created a pair of shoes that eventually turn into an apple tree after he spent seven years in the fashion industry and looked for more sustainable choices.

Toronto resident Luc Houle, 33, created Johnny: The Shoe That Grows Into A Tree and launched a Kickstarter to get his product made.

7. Swiss government: Same-sex couples can marry starting July 1

Switzerland’s executive body announced Wednesday that same-sex couples can get married starting on July 1 next year, making good on the resounding support Swiss voters expressed in a referendum.

The Federal Council officially said that starting Jan. 1, Switzerland would recognize the marriages of same-sex couples who wed in in other countries instead of continuing to treat the unions as simple civil partnerships.

____

That's it for this week. Until next week,

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Subscribe here to receive a collection of wholesome news every week in your inbox :D

[possumsinpeoplesuits]

Okay, I've come up with the rest of the plan...

So, the most imperative aspect is to cover all eventualities, that's why the Blessed Goddess Strap On of Strap Gets You Pregnant is so important.

For one, if my isekaied body doesn't have a dick, it'll still function, but the other important part is that the B.G.S.O.S.G.Y.P. makes no distinction in who it impregnates. Trans or cis, I'm seahorse daddying this villain and he'll never see it coming. Plus, I've got a lot of dysphoria related to down there, but attachments are like a loophole! Win win!

After I seduce him my usual, tried and true way (cargo shorts, a fanny pack, and a vest so my enby ass can tap into mommy AND daddy kinks), I'll be spared whatever fate usually happens to the denizens of this realm who're taken to the Demon King's Tower, and soon worm my way into being kept on as a maid and bedwarmer.

Now, if I'm allowed to bring a mundane item I already own, I'll use my position to slip THIS into his laundry:

(If I'm not allowed another item, skip to the next section, and my Paleface Swiss Please End Me thong will remain next to my HEALTH- FEEL NOTHING condom as band merch novelties, and I'll just have to learn to sew...)

Now, the benefit of the Fuck Me Till I Die thong is that, as metal band merch, it would surely appeal to the edgy machismo of the Demon King, and it'll be a simple task to get him to wear it to bed.

This is where I go full Butch Fatale on him, because the entire time I'm gonna absolutely gush about how good his butt looks in them until it becomes a mainstay during our raunchy nights.

Little by little, I'll keep his attention on his ass until I've pavloved him into thinking of it as a sexual organ. This will occur regardless of what parts he's packing, because I wrote 2k words about how Omegaverse ass wombs might work, and if I'm anything, I'm DEDICATED TO THE BIT!

The best part? I won't even have to suggest the pegging, he'll think it's his own idea the whole time, and the submissive-and-breedable-ification will progress until it won't matter when he discovers the B.G.S.O.S.G.Y.P.'s true purpose.

(He will, by the way, I'm getting consent beforehand. This is a commitment, y'know, and we both need to be on the same page for this family to thrive.)

After we have a child on the way, we'll rely on the fact that the Demon King is, well... a King, and therefore has to have a kingdom, right? A kingdom that will soon have an heir, which, as a monarchist, he'll be OBSESSED with, and wouldn't risk leading his demonic army until this heir is ready to step in if he falls.

Who do you think he'll trust to lead that army, hmm? That's right, ME, and by the time that heir is ready, I'll have been the general of this dark army for long enough that I'll have proven myself competent enough to stay in the position for good.

Now, as Lady General, I'll turn the attention of this army away from world domination, and instead inward, but not to stage a coup, no... we're gonna have them build infrastructure, and subtly encourage unionization to make sure that, should I be struck down for being too attractive, the working conditions will remain favorable.

The Demon Kingdom may still be a monarchy, I won't be able to change that without approximately fifty thousand Youtubers chiding me for historical inaccuracy, but it's now a MODERN country with well paid demonic citizens!

Eventually, the conditions will improve enough that it won't matter that the kingdom is technically being run by someone whose sole claim to power is via a religiously blessed detachable dick under military dictatorship.

Soon, the surrounding countries will look at their monarchies, headed by traditional monarchists who mistreat their citizenry and summon outer-dimensional nerds to save the world for them, and they'll rebel to get a sweet taste of that union health care, baby!

So you see? The world has been taken over without the Demon King's direct involvement, the isekai world is now much better to live in, and the cycle of Demon Kings and Heroes From Another World can finally end!

Perfect plan. Good job, me!

So, I think I've settled on a plan in case I ever get Isekaied, and it's a plan so brilliant and entirely normal that I'm surprised it hasn't been made into a series yet. So, please bear with me on this...

I'm gonna get the Demon King pregnant.

Look, every motherfucker asks the Goddess for a magic sword or some OP skills, but the moment I get Truck-kun'ed I'm going straight for "Strap gets you pregnant" and never fucking look back.

While those other protagonists are gonna be chilling in the starting zone building a harem, I'm gonna get immediately captured and taken prisoner directly to the Demon King's lair, because what am I gonna do? I'm nobody, why would he even know my name?

And that's where I strike. With my handsome butch looks, and yeehaw magnetism-

Okay I have no idea where I was going with this, but it was in my drafts for a year and I have no idea why I didn't post it?

[dancingaliensfics]

♡My Prison Pen Pal♡

Helmut Zemo x reader

Word count: 1,802

Warnings: swearing, mentions of prison and crimes and slight angst to do with his family

A/N: its finally here! I havent writen a fic in a long time so hopefully you guys like this! I tried to avoid using idioms and things like that but message me if you need anything explained or reworded as I know most people aren't native English speakers

@sorcerersofnyc

♡♡♡

His first letter came during the series finale of your favourite show. A rather inconvenient moment, you thought, so it stayed on the welcome mat until you passed through the hall on your way to bed. Picking it up, you figured you'd skim the first few lines then finish it and write a reply before work. Instead, you found yourself writing and rewriting a reply through the night. Somehow this man had managed to enthrall you with only a letter. Maybe it was the way he wrote as if he was some elegant poet whose sonnets would one day be hailed as classics. How he managed to be open and expressive, exuding a welcoming aura, and yet still seeming mysterious. Or perhaps it was simply fated by the stars that Helmut Zemo would capture your heart.

You waited anxiously for his second letter to arrive. After sending the first, you hadn't cared whether you got a response, the whole thing seemed like a bad idea to you. But your mother was insistent that you needed to meet new people and this way you wouldn't need to worry about awkward face to face conversations. Sending the first letter felt like any other chore you do in the day, done with much effort and resignment but forgotten within minutes. But the second? It felt like the most important thing you'd done in a long time. You'd even bought a first class stamp (not that it makes a difference).

You wanted to know more about this intriguing man. No, supervillain. Charged with international terrorism. Jesus christ what the fuck was wrong with you? Were you really falling in love with a supervillain after one letter? But he didn't seem evil to you. He wrote eloquently, somehow his simple and brief description of his day (he'd started reading a new psychology book, you'd have to send him some recommendations) sounded fascinating in his words.

Over time, you started to notice small things about Helmut. The way he crossed his t's, how he signed his name, but mainly that there was a romanticism to his writing. From the way he described his home, his wife, his son to his recipes for Sokovian dishes with small notes and doodles (your favourite was his shepherd's pie recipe where he helpfully noted his mother's assertion that you should always add more than you think you need). It was becoming clear to you that he wasn't the stoic and vengeful baron you expected but rather a soft, lonely and endearingly weird man who you couldn't imagine plotting to destroy the Avengers. Whilst it was his mystery that first captivated you, it was his sweet and sometimes awkward personality that convinced you to keep writing.

It took a while for Helmut to tell you about his family. You had heard on the news back when he first arrested about his motive, so you were interested to hear his perspective on his crimes. But that wasn't what you got. Instead, he told you about when he and his father used to play football when he was young and how they would play a match every time he visited, with Helmut playing against his father and son, who always wanted to play with grandfather. He told you of the songs his wife used to sing, how her voice was always loud and shaky and after years of singing somewhere over the rainbow she would still forget the lyrics and invent her own. He told you how his son was the best pianist he had ever heard. How he could play the greatest rendition of amazing grace and that he had just learnt the theme from swan lake. That he had been excited to practice it on his grandfathers grand piano the day Ultron attacked.

There was something so human about this man. His love for his family, his loss and grief, his plan to avenge his family, it was all so tragic and yet here he was sending you drawings of the flowers from his garden growing up. You wanted to hug him and yet sometimes you felt he wouldn't need it, wouldn't want it. You were wrong.

Helmut Zemo missed his family. He told you so in one of his most recent letters. He missed holding his son, brushing his wife's hair, going for long drives, waking up at 2am to comfort his son, early morning trips to the shops, cleaning up after dinner, helping with homework. Everything he listed seemed so trivial, so meaningless in the grand scheme of life and yet the memories meant so much to him.

You realised then you had never pitied him before. Not that he wasn't deserving of it, just that he didn't seem to need it. But overtime you realised that what Helmut had really needed wasn't revenge or to make a world free from superhumans, it was someone to talk to. Someone to trust. Someone who would understand his pain and not judge it. Perhaps, you thought to yourself, you could be that person.

Fuck.

You couldn't think of how to cope with this. No one you knew had ever mentioned falling in love with a criminal through letters. And as hard as you tried you hadn't been able to find a single romcom with this plot line. You couldn't tell him. You imagined with his seemingly fragile state of mind receiving from basically a stranger professing their love would at best cause him to ghost you. Especially after he confided in you, shared his thoughts and memories.

So instead you continued as normal. You sent him pressed flowers and pictures of your favourite places. Eventually, he asked what looked like, and you spent an hour trying to decide whether you should send a picture of yourself or to just vaguely describe your features. After deciding to send a picture of yourself on holiday a few months before the blip, you found yourself wondering what he'd do with it. Would he throw it away as soon as he got the letter or would he keep it, tuck it away in some book to look at whilst thinking of you?

You also found yourself wondering what he looked like in the real world. You had found pictures of him online, but they didn't feel real. He was never rarely happy. The pictures pre Ultron were clearly taken by paparazzi, so you weren't surprised he rarely looked anything other than annoyed. There were a few though, ones with his wife and son, where he clearly hadn't noticed, and some from when he was much younger and seemed to enjoy the attention. Then were those taken after his arrest.

And so you continued to wonder he looked like. How he looked in the morning, with flowers in his hair or in summer with the sun lighting his face. You wondered what his hair looked like wet, if he ever scrunched his nose in disgust. You wondered what his smile was like.

Over time, you told him more about yourself. The stress of returning home after the blip to no job, no house and your friends 5 years older. Your ex was married with kids and your sister had moved abroad. It was as if you blinked and your whole life had changed. You mentioned how it was your mum who had suggested getting a pen pal, so you could talk to someone new, who was living a different life to you, although she had meant someone in a different country not jail. Since coming back you'd been isolated and stressed with starting a new job, recovering lost information and personal belongings and moving house, so you had thought it might be good to speak to someone who didn't know you, who couldn't judge you. You told Helmut how it had been good, how writing to him had helped you, how he had helped you more than he could ever know.

No, that sounded creepy. How you appreciated his letters.

Too formal. How you hadn't expected to become his friend, but you were glad to be able to say you were.

Helmut was comforting. You knew in your head that your meeting on Friday was nothing to worry about but seeing him say it felt so reassuring. Each one of his letters made you feel relaxed, feel safe. You wanted to make him feel the same. So, as a way to repay his kindness you had told him that no matter what happened, he could always trust you. And it was true. You couldn't imagine a world where you wouldn't do anything for Helmut and although you knew he would never need it, you still wanted him to know you would always care about him, even if no one else did.

Writing to him had become as easy as talking to someone you'd known all your life. You had fallen into an easy routine, you knew when to expect his letters and you knew when you'd send a reply. The routine felt so natural that you even knew what the envelope would look like, always the same off-white with a square edged flap. The address was always the same too. Except on his last letter. Which was strange.

At first, you thought Helmut had been moved to a different prison but after frantically typing the address into Google Maps you realised it was not a prison. Fuck you had no idea what it was, but it wasn't a prison. It also wasn't in Germany.

You sat still, staring at the unopened letter for a few minutes.

You looked up at the door. You thought you heard someone knock. The post had already come and you weren't expecting people. Hell, there wasn't anyone other than your parents who would visit anyway and they would have called first. Now you were sat still, staring at the front door.

"I know you're in there, the lights are on."

It was as if you were a marionette, being moved by some strange force that was slowly pulling you out of your seat and towards the door. You didn't even register that you moved until you felt the door handle on your fingertips. The cold metal caused you to stop, as if broken out of a trance. There was a sudden realisation that if you opened the door your life would never be the same. It was sickening, a mixture of dread and excitement; it reminded you of the moment before a roller coaster drops. You repeated that thought in your head. "Your life would never be the same". Your life hadn't been the same in almost a year. What would be the harm in one more big change. So you did it. You opened the door.

His smile was beautiful.

[tomorrow-and-tomorrows]

SNK 139.5: Towards the Final Pages with no Final Answers

The final pages of the updated ending are bold, but I think ultimately more evocative than the original preliminary ending.

Even after the intensely polarized reader reception that took issue with the lack of storytelling precision and clarity when it was most needed, SNK chose to end with a decisively ambiguous symbol. In literature, a symbol is something that clearly means something -- but with the most "literary" symbols, their meaning cannot be absolutely defined; any attempted answer as to what a symbol represents has no finality or certainty, and interpretation will remain ever open to debate. A symbol both invites and resists interpretation.

Naturally, the immediate response to the symbolic tree on the final page is to try answering the invitation to the question, "What does it mean?"

One prominent answer I've seen is that it symbolizes the continuation of the cycle of war and violence either because a) of the symbolic parallel to Ymir or b) on a more literal level, that it implies the actual potential revival of new era of Titans. A reasonable interpretation either way, but also, I think, an incomplete one.

The first reason for this is that "the endless cycle of war" was already clearly and powerful represented in the preceding panels:

The cycle of war was already continuing in the decades or centuries before the child arrived at the tree. A culminating image symbolizing the persistence or resurgence of an era of war as the final panel would thus arguably be redundant and unnecessary.

Furthermore, the chapter is entitled "Toward the Tree on That Hill." If the tree were simply a symbol of war, by implication the chapter could equally be called 'toward the endless cycle of war'. But such a relentlessly bleak and tonally flat ending sentiment would be firmly incongruous with the story's recurrent conviction in the equal cruelty and beauty of the world -- a conviction that I believe it has been faithful to all the way to its end.

The Long Defeat

But while on this topic of war, let's linger a moment on the "cruelty" side and the consequence of this wordless construction and subsequent destruction of a city -- the most bold and possibly controversial additional panels that are also my personal favourite additions.

One objection that has emerged against this brief sequence of Paradis' apparent destruction is that it renders the entire story to be "pointless". Eren's 80% Rumbling, Armin's diplomatic peace talks between the remnants of the Allied Nations and Paradis, and before that, the proposal of the 50-year plan and Zeke's euthanasia plan... everything, to the very beginning to the Survey Corps' dreams of some kind of freedom; was it all for nothing? All that striving, that hope, that final promise bestowed upon Armin: was it all a pointless story? Even more radically, is the story suggesting that Eren might as well have continued the Rumbling to 100% of the earth? Was Zeke's euthanasia plan the cruel but correct choice all along? What was the point of rejecting the 50-year plan if that had a greater chance of success at preventing this outcome?

I think Isayama suddenly pulling back to such a long-term view of history to the scale of decades or even centuries into the future calls for a reorientation in attitude towards exactly what kind of story we have been reading. Yes, if the metric is Paradis' survival, maybe it was indeed all "pointless". But that's also to say that, on the broadest scale, SNK is a story about futility, that it is a deliberate representation of the struggle to make one's actions historically meaningful.

In the long view of history, all the events, from Grisha running beyond the wall to see the airships and the first breaking of Wall Maria to Erwin's sacrifices, Paradis' discovery of the outside world, and finally to the Battle of Heaven and Earth, it would all merely be a handful of chapters in the history textbooks of the future. A future in which war and geopolitical conflict will continue even without Titans. That does not mean that all paths to the future are equal -- the 50-year plan would not have put an end to Titans, and Zeke's euthanasia plan distorts utilitarian ethics into just another form of oppression; there are better and worse decisions that lead to more and less degrees of suffering, but no decision can ever be the final one.

The additional panels remind us that in history, there never exists a singular "Final Solution". The reason there are readers who vehemently support Eren to have flattened 100% of the world, and the reason the Paradisians supported the oppressive, authoritarian, proto-fascist Jaegar Faction under Floch and even after the Rumbling, is that because they want to believe that a Final Solution to end conflict exists and will work. They resist the fundamental uncertainty and complexity of the situation, instead preferring a singular, unified, and coherent Answer to Paradis' struggle to survive. I'm reminded of the scholar Erich Auerbach's theorization of why fascism appealed to many people during periods of political and social crisis, change, and uncertainty. Writing in exile after fleeing Nazi Germany, he observed that:

"The temptation to entrust oneself to a sect which solved all problems with a single formula, whose power of suggestion imposed solidarity, and which ostracized everything which would not fit in and submit - this temptation was so great that, with many people, fascism hardly had to employ force when the time came for it to spread through the countries of old European culture." (from Mimesis p. 550)

This acutely describes the Jaegar Faction's rise to power and continued dominance in Paradis. But their promise of unity, of a single formula to wipe out the rest of the world either literally through the Rumbling, or to dominate them with military force, is a false one. Even if Eren had Rumbled 100% of the world instead of 80%, history would still go on. The external threat of the world may have been eliminated, but internal conflict and violence would still continue onward throughout the generations born on top of the blood of the rest of the world. Needless to say, out of all the options, Eren's 80% Rumbling is the very epitome of perpetuating the cycle of violence as it creates tens of thousands of war orphans like Eren once was, and it would justify employing violence for one's own self-interest to an extreme degree. For the generations to come that would valourize Eren as a hero, it would set a dangerous precedent for what degree of destruction is acceptable for self-defence -- nothing short of the attempt to flatten the entire world. It is no surprise that Paradis would meet a violent end when its founding one-party rule of the Jaegar Faction has their roots in such unapologetically bloody foundations.

Neither the 80% Rumbling nor the militaristic, ultra-nationalistic Jaegar faction that come to govern Paradis are glamourized as the "correct" solution to ensuring Paradis' future. (This can also put to rest any accusations of SNK's ending as "fascist" or "imperialist" propaganda, since the island's modern nation that they founded ends in war. All nations must fall eventually, but not all do in such blatant destruction). Importantly, neither is Armin's diplomatic mission naively idealized as that which permanently achieves world peace. No singular or unifying formula can work because reality is complicated. Entrusting oneself to seemingly simple Answers is simply insufficient, even if they are ideals of peaceful negotiation; that method may work given the right conditions, but the world will always eventually complicate its feasibility.

After all in the real world, there's the absurd irony that some in the West had called the First World War "The War to End all Wars". These days, WWI is merely one long chapter in our textbooks just a few pages away from the even longer chapter of the Second World War that is followed by all the rest of the conflicts that have followed since then even with the establishment of diplomatic organizations like the United Nations. In this sense, showing Paradis' eventual downfall is perhaps the only way to end such a series that is so concerned with history, from King Fritz's tribal expansion into empire, the rise and fall of Marleyan ascendency, and finally of the survival and apparent shattering of Paradis.

From its beginning to its end, SNK has poignantly evoked J.R.R. Tolkien's conception of history as The Long Defeat. In one character's words, "together through ages of the world we have fought the long defeat". That is to say, "no victory is complete, that evil rises again, and that even victory brings loss".

No heroes, only humans

Eren's desperate, fatalistic resignation to committing the Rumbling, along with the characters' rejection of all the rest of the earlier plans to ensure Paradis a future, are merely the actions of human beings to that began with the need to find not even necessarily a Final Answer, but at least an acceptable and feasible one for the time being. But the characterization of Eren's confusion, childishness, and regret in the final chapter is startlingly real in how it demonstrates how, all along, we have been dealing not with grand heroes, but simply people who have no answers at all. SNK has always been about failures - and often ironic failures; it has always been a story about painful and frequently futile struggle.

People make mistakes, they can be short-sighted, selfish, biased, immature, petty, and irrational, and I think the ending follows through with depicting the consequences of that.

Erwin's self-sacrifice before being able to reach the basement (and his regression to a childhood state in the moments before his death), Kenny's futile chasing after that universal compassion he had seen in Uri, Shadis never being acknowledged by history despite his final heroic action, and so on -- these stories of ironic, futile failures are still meaningful in their mere striving. Eren's ending and Paradis' demise despite Armin's endeavour to ensure them a peaceful future are entirely consistent with this.

SNK certainly follows the shounen trope in which young individuals are bestowed great power and correspondingly great responsibility, and must then reconcile the burden of possessing that greatness on which the fate of the world depends. Yet it is equally defined by its representation of the state that us normal human beings confront everyday: the struggle against the apparent powerlessness to enact any meaningful or lasting change at all. Simultaneously, this helpless state does not exempt us from the responsibility to act in whatever small capacity we are able to resist oppression, ideological extremism, and the perpetuation of violence.

Towards That Symbol

That was a rather long but vital digression about the additional "construction and destruction" pages. To return to the issue of the symbolism in the final panel, here I will turn from seemingly affirming the tree as symbolizing the cycle of violence, towards what I think is the greater complexity of what the tree might "actually" symbolize.

As I've said above, I don't believe that the final chapter title is synonymous with 'toward the endless cycle of war'. In tone, theme, and characterization, SNK has always been defined by the tension between cruelty and beauty, the will to violence and the underlying desire for peace, and the rest of the contradictory impulses that all simultaneously coexist. The end of SNK as a whole commits to a similar lack of closure, ambiguity, and interpretive openness.

So far I have rambled on about only a view of the perpetual "cruelty" of history. Where, then, is the "beauty"?

In short, the "tree = cycle of violence" interpretation is obviously based on how that this tree recalls the original tree in which the spine creature, as the source of the power of the Titans, resided. But it's worth first considering, what exactly is this creature? We seem to get our answer in the chapter that most precisely crystallizes the dual "cruelty and beauty" of the world:

The spine creature might be said to be life itself. Or more specifically, the will of life to perpetuate itself, for no reason at all but for the fleeting moments in which we feel distinctly glad to have existed in the world.

The creature at the source of the Titans, and in extension the Titans themselves, is neither inherently a positive or negative, "good" or "evil", creative or destructive force. It's both and all of those at once. As with any power, the Titans were merely a tool that was put to use to oppressive ends.

So as I now suggest that the tree at the end is symbolically a "Tree of Life", I don't at all mean "life" in the typically celebratory or optimistic sense: rather, I mean it in the ambiguous, ambivalent, uncertain, and complex sense that has been evoked throughout the above discussion of the inevitable continuation of war.

The title "Toward The Tree on That Hill" is derived from its associations with Eren and Mikasa, but more specifically of course, from Armin's affirmation of existence. However, the tree as a symbol of existential affirmation is undercut with the revelation that, despite Armin's diplomatic mediation between the Allied Nations and Paradis, the island nation never escapes war just as no nation in the history of the earth has ever fully escaped war.

The image of Armin running toward that life-affirming tree by the end becomes twisted and complicated, as the image of the anonymous child approaching the Tree of Life evokes both awe at its beauty and grandeur, and a deep dread at the foreboding of its cyclical return to Ymir's tree that signalled the beginning of a bloody era.

And I think that is precisely it: Life is not some idealized, beautiful vision that we always want to run toward; it is also ironic, complicated, and dreadful. It is ambivalent. Like a literary symbol, the meaning of life cannot be pinned down absolutely. The tree therefore becomes itself a symbol of uncertainty, of an open future that is cyclical both in its beauty and war.

As a final observation, it is surely no coincidence that, the small, black, birdlike silhouettes of the war planes destroying the city from the sky is replaced by the similarly small black silhouettes of birds in the final panel.

If the birds represent freedom from war, the irony is that the immediately surrounding land appears to be one completely empty of people save for the exploring child; it is a freedom attained only without people's presence. Yet at the same time, a child from some existing civilization has reached it; perhaps it is freedom that they have reached, perhaps it is something else that they see in the tree. What is it that they were looking for? What does the tree and its history represent for the child, and what does it mean for their future? Alternatively, does the child-in-the-forest imagery negatively recall the warning that the world is one huge forest of predator and prey that we need to protect children from entering?

Rather than providing answers, this tree embodies all of the potential questions, and all of the potential answers. These possibilities will unfold themselves into an uncertain future beyond the chapters of history that Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Zeke, Erwin, and all the rest of the characters were part of and left their mark on; and whatever future this child will witness or create, it will similarly be one of the struggle against futility, as the journey begins anew with each generation in every new era. Neither - or both - hopeful or despairing, the final image of this tree, just like life itself, contains those innumerable irresolvable tensions as it gestures towards all possibilities, both oppressive and free.

[corellianhounds]

@autumnwoodsdreamer Thank you! I do wish “The Heiress” had been set up and executed better because Mando makes one argument about her changing the terms, and not only does she insist on using the intel she has as leverage to make him go along with it (which we don’t get to see Mando have any other response to), she also caps off that argument with a real smarmy (and in my opinion, out of place) delivery of “This is the Way,” as if implying… changing the terms of a deal, is the Mandalorian way? Or is she saying “Because you’re a Mandalorian, you will help me because I’m one too” ? Did the writers have a specific intention in mind aside from making her catty on top of deceitful? Because if they did, it certainly didn’t come across

And even if Din felt like he was forced to go along with the plan because he was desperate to get the information, why did he take such a pointless suicide run down the hall to finish off the remaining Stormtroopers for the people who literally just admitted to deceiving him? It’s the only notable fight sequence he gets on the ship and it’s a foolish decision, executed poorly, in a way that makes him look amateur not just next to the Nite Owls, but in a way that would look amateur next to anybody. The whole sequence after the reveal of her deceit just doesn’t have any logical cause and effect based on what we’ve seen of these characters. The writers were either trying to write the season backwards from a finale they wanted to happen a certain way, or they were pulling their punches because they realized they’d written episodes in a way that would get their characters into the kind of trouble they the writers couldn’t get them out of without having to commit to something concrete (like making Bo-Katan a straight up villain).

(I think it was both. And I think the showrunners were too scared to actually commit because they realized they would have to decide what happened when it came down to circumstances that would force Mando and Bo-Katan to have an actual fight for the sword, because that would mean they’d actually have to kill one of them off.)

@desertbeskar I completely agree. I said something about that here when that episode came out because YEAH, why WOULD you want somebody cowardly enough to back down or foolish enough to trust an Imperial? She failed as a leader either way, plain and simple, and realistically no Mandalorian should ever trust or respect her again because her actions were the antithesis to everything they are as a people. She royally screwed up in a way that should have eliminated her from the running as someone worthy of reclaiming the title of Mand’alor. Not a single Mandalorian should have trusted her, and not a single one should have ever followed her again.

If anything, that should have been information Bo-Katan would have gone to her grave fighting against getting out. I wanted to see her lie, cheat, threaten, and fight her way into regaining what she thinks is rightfully hers, and I wanted to see the truth come out in the end and completely destroy her. That would have been a more interesting and compelling end for someone who literally came from the very top as royalty, and whose actions all the way up until her end would have had more compelling effects and consequences on the other characters and stories as a solidified villain. As it is, even within the live action show alone, the writers seemed too scared to commit to her characterization either way and she’s not a strongly written character as a result. Whether she became a villain or began as a villain and eventually (a long time down the road) managed to redeem herself, you have to commit to how you’re going to write that character.

Bo-Katan’s end (in a world where we got a better written show 😂) should have been as a complete failure because of her own actions driving away any support or friendships she may have had, alone and undeserving of any praise, without a crown, title, country, or people. It’s a lot more satisfying to see someone viciously ambitious who thinks they should be the reigning monarch end up losing everything because of her ambition, lies, and mistakes.

And tbh, barring any of that, why didn’t Gideon just completely spill the beans and ruin her reputation himself there in the bridge during the season 2 finale? It would still pit Bo-Katan against the others, but it would guarantee further fractioning and in-fighting between all of them, weakening them as a result even if he was still defeated for the time being. Then when he gets busted out of jail he doesn’t have to worry about any of them teaming up with her because he’s already singled her out essentially as either a traitor, a coward, or inept leader and fighter. Bo-Katan, if she wanted revenge at that point against him, would have to do it alone.

In an ideal world, those would be the worst possible endings for Bo-Katan Kryze; not death, but living alone with the knowledge that it was her actions that got her there, and what everybody else thinks of her as a result.

Analyzing The Mandalorian’s Motivations — “The Heiress” Criticism

Part I / Part II

Word Count: 2k

I have several issues with how Mando is characterized in Season 2 of the show, and some of the most concise examples come from actions in “The Heiress” and “The Rescue,” which have parallels in their ending fights and character takeaways. In Season 2 it often felt like the end result the writers wanted dictated how certain plot points had to be accomplished without taking into consideration what the characters logically should have done in the situations that came up based on their prior scenes and established characterization. It didn’t feel like Mando’s reasoning, choices, or personal motivations were explored or exemplified, so his agency as a character was put to the side in favor of meeting certain plot beats (though he wasn’t the only one).

The biggest conflict of this show is the fact that being a Mandalorian makes Din susceptible to danger at every turn, which he feels is no life for a kid to be a part of, and the longer the things he holds dear are in proximity to each other (him being a devout Mandalorian vs. keeping a mostly helpless Force-sensitive child), the more he’s in danger of losing one for the sake of the other. Both are at the core of Mando’s internal conflict, which sets up the biggest question of the series: “If forced to choose, which will be more important to the Mandalorian in the end?”

That gives us an overall objective of Mando needing to give the child to somebody else so the kid will be safe and he can continue to be the kind of Mandalorian he aspires to, even if it means he and the kid will be separated as a result. That internal struggle should dictate each of his smaller choices within the individual episodes because at this point in their story he doesn’t see any other way for him to have both.

For some reason, Season 2 felt like the writers missed the obvious reason Grogu needs a Jedi teacher. Mando needs to find a Jedi to train the boy so that not only will Grogu be safe (and presumably happy) with a person who better understands him as a Force-sensitive child, but so Grogu will be able to defend himself when he is alone. It’s important to remember that the Jedi code wasn’t just a belief system and way of life, it was also a martial art.

Even if Din were to keep the child and protect him to the best of his ability, he knows his own past as a hunter and his reputation as a Mandalorian make the child a target by association (to say nothing of the Empire and whoever they send after them, though he won’t know those are still a threat until later). The child does not age at the same rate humans do, and Mando knows there’s no guarantee he’ll always be around to save him. Even if he survives to old age with the child by his side, he doesn’t know if the child will be mature or capable enough of even caring for himself, especially if he doesn’t grow to be much bigger than he is now. Grogu needs to learn self defense and strengthen his skills if he is to ever have a chance at surviving those he outlives. Din has to reckon with the fact being the best Mandalorian he could be isn’t enough to keep the child safe on his own (which is another inner conflict we don’t get to hear about from him).

We never hear Din’s perspective on his quest outside of “This is what I was told to do,” which makes him a character the story is happening to instead of him driving his own narrative. The external goal is good because it means we get to see him struggling to keep the child at arm’s length, knowing he’ll have to give him up and not wanting either of them to be hurt by that separation, but Mando needed to have that internal motivation because it ties directly back to his main objective. Yes, the Armorer tasked him with returning the child to his own kind, but it was not only because she understood the importance of him being raised with his own culture, it was because the child is virtually helpless if his strength and control over the Force is inconsistent like Din has seen.

Without that internal motivation, Mando ends up not having much choice in where the story goes, making his character in the second season weaker as a result.

So now we’ve clarified his overarching goal and given him a more driven role and perspective in the story. Everything that follows should be a result of his active ambition in achieving it, which brings me back to his choices in “The Heiress.”

This episode introduces the idea of different Mandalorians having different customs/placing importance on different aspects of the code, but has Din choose to set those thoughts regarding ritual aside in order for him to receive information now that he realizes he’s so close to getting it (showing us him prioritizing the child over himself). What we didn’t get and what we should have gotten to see was Mando more visually desperate to achieve the episode’s tasks in exchange for the connection Bo-Katan has directly to a Jedi. The internal conflict of the episode now comes down to “What is Mando willing to compromise on to achieve his goals, and how far is he willing to deviate from his own code to get it?”

The main external conflict the writers/show-runners initiate but don’t resolve is Mando’s problem with Bo-Katan not sticking to the terms of their contract. Bo-Katan changes the terms of the deal midway through the heist, having kept her real motive from him the whole time. His character has no reason in these circumstances to honor the deal that she broke first, and I think his willingness to continue with the heist in order to get the information deviates too far from another seldom-explored, nuanced character trait of Mando’s: while he does give everybody at least one chance, if they prove to be a continued threat or refuse to back down, he reacts with swift, decisive justice.

This should have been the point in the episode where her actions were the last straw; she put him in a much more dangerous position and proved by her deception that she was using him. This should have been the point he said “No.”

I made a post before talking about Gor Koresh that puts Mando’s actions into perspective, but there are plenty of examples in every episode to back up the fact Mando has a tipping point. That’s a good thing. Yes, it’s admirable how much Mando shows restraint, but there has to come a point where your characters refuse to do something because otherwise they’re just a pushover and a doormat. Characters shouldn’t have to say yes to everything, and they should be able to make decisions that result in the story becoming more difficult for them. His choice here, outside of saving his own skin so he can guarantee being able to get back to the kid he is responsible for, should be to let Bo-Katan experience the consequences of her actions. He should have refused to let her be rewarded for her deception. He doesn’t have to shoot her to prove a point, but he certainly doesn’t have to help her.

If he’s willing to let their dishonorable actions slide, what else would he be willing to let others do at the expense of himself without holding them accountable or without them receiving the consequences they deserve? What aspects of himself will he compromise? I’m not even talking about compromise in the choice to take the helmet off in “The Believer,” I’m talking about who he is as a person.

Bo-Katan changing the terms of the deal reveals to the audience that she knew he wouldn’t have agreed to do the job in the first place because otherwise she would have told him at the beginning. Hijacking the entire Empire ship is intensely riskier and poses a danger to himself and by extension the kid if he doesn’t make it back. She gets him onto the ship and only reveals her intentions midway through, thinking he’ll abide by her command simply because they’re both Mandalorians.

That should have been the moment Mando decided the cost of this job outweighed the reward because if she was willing to deceive him about this, what reason does he have to trust her at all? She could have simply lied about having any information about a Jedi to begin with, or could withhold the information once the job’s done. Season 2 has several episodes with the theme of honoring one’s word being what marks somebody as a good Mandalorian, or at least as an ally Din can trust. Cobb Vanth, the Tuskens, the Frog Lady, later Boba and Fennec all have story elements that relate to the idea of honoring one’s word.

What Mando should have logically done based on what we’ve seen of him up to this point was tell Bo-Katan “No deal. I’m done. I’ll find the information I need elsewhere.” And then we see him jump off ship.

This has two major consequences to the show’s story moving forward.

• One: Mando doesn’t receive information about the Jedi and will have to find it somewhere else, a cost he is willing to take because staying with Bo-Katan would have meant putting himself at undue risk, with the possibility of her having lied about ever having the information at all. As it stands in canon, he’s forced to allow somebody he thinks SHOULD be honorable to reap the benefits of their dishonor, and what does that say about his character’s sense of justice in the end?

• And two: Bo-Katan’s heist fails, losing her the shipment (and potentially, in her eyes, the information about Moff Gideon she could have gotten if Mando had continued to the cockpit with them to interrogate the Imperials), meaning Bo-Katan’s already established antagonism would have pushed her into open animosity, pitting her against Mando as an enemy. That makes for a much more interesting and compelling narrative conflict Mando has to overcome in the finale when he has to convince her to join him, which would heighten interpersonal tensions and have the audience truly not know whether or not Mando is going to succeed in the end.

It also sets up a stronger villain for Mando after Moff Gideon is defeated. The show already presented Bo-Katan as an antagonist, and it would have made more sense to lean into that especially with the conflict over the Darksaber coming up at the end.

When Mando goes to her in the finale to recruit her for the ambush, Bo-Katan initially refuses anyway. I don’t have reason to think she entirely cares about Mando’s kid because her actions in the heist put him at risk. He is the sole caretaker and provider for the kid, and being willing to risk his life as collateral shows she only cares about Mando insofar as he’s willing to do what she says. With that change to “The Heiress,” each of them becomes a more strongly written character and he now has to make a more compelling argument to get her in the finale. It’s still the fact he knows exactly where Moff Gideon is that wins her over.

Their interpersonal conflict comes to its Act III at the end of the finale when it’s revealed Mando won the Darksaber in combat, and to add insult to injury Mando offers it up in forfeit in front of witnesses, so now she can’t even challenge him to a duel; people will know he never wanted it in the first place, meaning they’ll assume he’d throw any fight the two of them have. It’s the perfect setup for Mando’s next primary antagonist.