#historical fiction will WRECK your vocabulary

[hawnks]

Why am I like this…..

[caparrucia]

@jonphaedrus replied to your post “25, 27, & 28?”:

you write cor so perfectly. so completely, utterly unhinged, and so COMPLETELY, UTTERLY UNAWARE OF THIS FACT.

​I love him so much. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.

He's this super powerful warrior of legend, the King's confidant, the idiot who'll try to win the war all on his own with just a sword and the desire to make his adopted family safe/proud. He is a fucking MENACE.

He cannot fight a crab and not get his shit wrecked somehow. Every single time. He gets yeeted into the ocean or the cliff or the beach and he wins but AT WHAT COST (mostly his dignity).

He's a surly deadpan asshole with resting bastard face that makes people think he's always angry or feral or about to turn into a serial killer. And then you dig inside his head and he's playing the bottles of beer on the wall song on repeat.

He goes to McDonald's and orders the happy meal, not for the toy but because he's convinced the kid fries are better and you cannot convince him otherwise, arguing is futile.

He once used sugar instead of salt while learning to cook and rather than admit his mistake he committed to the bit that he just likes sweet food, and THIRTY YEARS LATER, it just sort of became true.

He learned to read in the back of the Regalia, off the wholly age inappropriate smut romance novels Regis absolutely does not read, to this day, which means his fucking vocabulary is weird a shit. And then he went on to read historical fiction and that only made it worse. He uses words like abstruse and accoutred conversationally, but only when he's talking down the nobles in Regis' court.

His shoes have red soles. All of them. He loves red. It's his favorite color. And then people make it WEIRD by bringing up blood, and he's like. You might be a psychopath, but I'm build different. I just fucking love tulips, Brenda, leave me the fuck alone.

He knows a distressing number of secret passages inside the Citadel and he uses them primarily for pranks and to convince most people that the Citadel is thoroughly, stupidly haunted.

He knows the names of all the stall owners in the food market by the docks, but he struggles to remember which Lord is what in Regis court.

He can't grow a full beard so he trims that disgrace on his face because he legitimately still looks twelve if he's clean shaven. It's a crime. Regis will never stop laughing at him about it.

He once won a battle by walking into it, and he's never been able to live that shit down. He didn't DO anything.

I love him, your honor. He is a complete fucking gremlin, I would like to buy a dozen.

[spaceymcspaceship]

post nine ?

The War Machines

Circa 1965

Ohhh cool title cards

There’s some nice camera work in this one

Lol Polly making a face when she’s praised for her typing

Dodo: I’m not feeling great Polly: Let’s go CLUBBING

Alright I love the Ben and Polly dynamic already

I’m sorry but the Doctor in the club and the bartender calling his outfit fab I’m dead

The Doctor: how dare you just take off to see some old friends

The Doc literally in the same breath: well we’d better be off to go see some old friends

I’m still not exactly sure what this machine does except create fog and comically run people over

Look at the Doc in his full get up with the little hat!

I love the apocalyptic havoc these machines are wrecking like *checks notes* power-washing phone booths and knocking over trash cans

The Mind Robber

Circa no when

Finally a second Doctor episode!!

So many of his are missing I guess there aren’t any complete historic ones? (Or at least ones that made my first time round list)

I want the job of building little models of the Tardis and then putting it in peril like with the lava

I love how Jamie tells Zoe to change into something practical and she comes back in a glitter catsuit???

This tardis set seems like a downgrade tbh….those circles are definitely painted lol

The bagpipes in Jamie’s vision are killing me

These robots are ridiculous and iconic

Did we just murder the tardis

Um they just replaced Jamie for two episodes? at least they acknowledge it?? Apparently the original actor got chicken pox???

“It’s just a brick wall with door painted on it”…that’s rich coming from a timelord with circles painted on the wall of his tardis

This episode is actually really creative and fun

And Patrick troughton is very good I’m sorry I preemptively judged you on your haircut sir

Lol did Zoe find Jamie’s vest and just put it on

Zoe just fights the Karkus I’m really liking her

Oh making the companions think the Doctor is villain that hits close to home

Heck yeah Zoe and Jamie you slam all those buttons

The War Games

Circa ???

it is definitely starting out in WWI but that was not indicated online

Zoe does so much that actually affects the plot…good for her

Ah I see something is happening with the mist we are indeed in no when

Goddammit ransom you’re terrible at this job

“Doctor John Smith” !!!!

The sonic screwdriver!! It’s actually being used a screwdriver!!!

This story is hella long but actually really engaging

Lol look at these people thinking the time lords have any control over the doctor

There is still so much good untapped material in classic who that nuwho could draw on…literally anything in these episodes like the war lords or the land of fiction in the previous story

This seems like a bad time to take a nap zoe

Oh zoe is ready to stab this man

Lol the word ‘cooperate’ is not in the Doctor’s vocabulary

Oh shit it’s time to call the time lord parents in to fix the mess

Did he just call the time lords through a séance??

This slow motion sequence is Art

“Why did you even run away from them” “I was bored” same

Ah look it’s the beginning of the doctor setting their relationship with the time lords to “it’s complicated”

Lol Jamie just calling out the doc for not being able to steer the tardis

Oh no I’ve grown very attached to zoe and Jamie this hurts

The side eye looks between the two time lord judges are killing me

Oh no goodbye two

The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon

Circa 1969

I’ve only been watching NuWho eps if I want to but I am totally feeling an 11 episode right now esp bc I’ve got a bunch of 3 episodes incoming

Literally never clocked before that the old guy at the lake is Delaware canton iii even though he literally says it

I always forget how fast some of eleven’s episodes are

He still has the best action theme

I always forget how Moffera episodes end…like they’re so compelling and clever at the beginning and I remember some of the episode set-ups so very clearly but then I cannot remember how anything actually gets solved or wrapped up

It doesn’t really matter though because I love everyone in this bar 11 and Amy and Rory and River

[swingbeard]

Character Profile Meme: Ithanar Islesun

(Because ALL THE COOL KIDS ARE DOING IT.)

Full Name: Ithanar Islesun

Other Names: Ithan, Ith - he only allows a few people to call him by a shorter version of his name.

Universe They Exist In: World of Warcraft

Gender and Sexuality: Cisgender male, bisexual

Pronouns: He/Him

Ethnicity/Species: Sin’dorei (Blood Elf)

Birthplace and Birthdate: Almost six hundred years ago on the Isle, a small landmass off the northwestern coast of Quel’thalas.

Guilty Pleasures: “Sappy” romantic literature*. He has a few novels here or there, but he’ll never tell you where there are exactly.

* “Don’t you dare judge me. I’m five-hundred and eighty nine. I deserve to switch up what I read every so often!”

As for not-so-guilty pleasures? Drinking (wine or liquor), sex, and sleeping in too late a little too often (especially recently).

Phobias: Necromancy, the Scourge.

What They Would Be Famous For: His exploits as a Spellbreaker and member of Silvermoon’s military before his first retirement. Ithanar participated in an array of high-profile skirmishes, conflicts, and battles against the Amani Trolls, the Horde, and other enemies, even going as far as to lead his own squadron of Spellbreakers.

Following his first retirement, he took up a position as an instructor for a few different Spellbreaking schools throughout Quel’thalas. Those who went through Spellbreaker training may remember or may not.

What Have They/Would They Gotten Arrested For: He may have gotten in trouble here or there with the Kirin Tor for a few things, mainly involving escapades with younger apprentices or mages. Illegal teleportations and portals may have a little something to do with that*.

** “Listen, when you’re young? You do some funny things.”

OCs You Ship Them With: None… yet.

Your Favorite OC Relationships: Ithanar gets along rather well with @stormandozone‘s character Elleynah Stormsummer; there’s a really nice friendship building between the two (she kicked his ass during a training session, so he’s damn impressed). 

He also enjoys the company of Eldriana, Enne Treesinger, Waralyon, Aureate, and that wonderful Felstalker pup Seven (all of these characters belong to @sparklepriest and @notdavidbowie.) 

He’s beginning to develop a bit of a friendship as well with @ocarina-of-what’s character Velianor Novastorm (as he’s teaching her how to swim). @thedragonisaprincess‘s character Nuellen Swiftstrike is a good ally who’s poked fun at him for moaning about how old he is (because she’s older than him). He’s had a few conversation with @retributionpriest‘s character Lirelle here and there, and enjoys her no-nonsense attitude (that’s what he’s seen at least) along with her company in general.

He’d like to get to know a few people better like Cere’thien, Vaelrin, and fel, even Kaltaia (when she’s not wrecking the infirmary) at some point. 

(Those characters belong to @lissanaria| @forever-afk | @azriah respectively in that order.)

Oh, and he owes @jessipalooza‘s character Bricini coffee SOON.

(And Qeren Brightmantle, who is @entropytea‘s character, because that trip to Dalaran a hundred years ago or so was a REAL interesting affair… in a good way.)

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: His twin sister Ildrielen. She’s not his biggest fan (and you will learn why rather soon).

Favorite Book Genre: Any sort of history book, even if it’s historical fiction. He loves reading about ancient ruins and civilizations.

Least Favorite Book Cliche: An ending that leaves you hanging and forces you to buy the next book in the series. If he could just buy the series in one big tome, he’d be rather happy; unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.

Talents and/or Powers: A bit of a spoiler, which was hinted at in an earlier story… Ithanar is no longer able to use his Spellbreaking abilities for reasons he won’t say.  

In fact, only one person is aware of this ICly at the moment.

However, that doesn’t mean he’s powerless. No, Ithanar can fight... and well, with centuries of combat experience under his belt, having skill in a variety of weapons. He has a solid enough grasp on battlefield tactics and can command a small squad of soldiers, but anything more than that isn’t his forte.

He also possesses a rather solid knowledge and vocabulary of runes, able to draw them out with ease and quickly or dispel them with a counter-rune or other enchantment. This is a skill he’s picked up over years of relic-hunting, whether with his brother Ithaerin, on his own, or with other acquaintances.

Why Someone Might Love Them: Because he’s an old snarky asshole sometimes with a quip here or there, or he can be a lovable old elf dad who does his best to protect his newfound friends.

He has purpose again and feels driven to defend Quel’thalas, and Azeroth, at large. Ithanar caring about something again after everything’s happened? That’s something worth liking him for. It took a lot for him to come back (even if he doesn’t show it).

Why Someone Might Hate Them: Because he can be an old snarky asshole sometimes? It has its ups and downs. He also keeps his emotions to himself and plays his cards close to his chest in public, so some might find that a bit aggravating or annoying.

Certain family members may not like him because of things he did after the Fall which ensured House Islesun would remain dormant/inactive like many of the other noble families which have begun to rebound, albeit a bit slowly for some.  

Why You Love Them: I haven’t been playing Ithanar for too long now, but he was a character who sat in my head for a good long time before I started working, developing, and eventually RPing the character. Whereas with other characters, I didn’t have much to work with, Ithanar has been a bit of a different case in that much of his story direction was figured out before I started RPing the character.

So far, it’s worked out well. I haven’t written this much for a World of Warcraft character in a long time, and I’m enjoying writing Ithanar along with the other Islesun siblings. I really look forward to seeing what happens next as he continues to interact with members of the Sunguard and other characters!

Why You Hate Them: Because I made a character who’s an “old battle-hardened hot dad”... again.

I have a bit of a type, okay?

Tag(s): ANYBODY!

[gibsongirlselections]

Remember the Red Guards Before You Cheer the Woke Mobs

I’m ambivalent about statues and J.K. Rowling being torn down, but terrified of the thought process behind the destruction. Decisions should never be made by mobs. 

Is America on the edge of a cultural revolution?

The historical namesake and obvious parallel is the Cultural Revolution in China, which lasted from 1966 to 1976. Its stated goal was to purge capitalist and traditional elements from society, and to substitute a new way of thinking based on Mao’s own beliefs. The epic struggle for control and power waged war against anybody on the wrong side of an idea.

To set the mobs on somebody, one needed only to tie him to an official blacklist like the Four Olds (old customs, culture, habits, and ideas). China’s young people and urban workers formed Red Guard units to go after whomever was outed. Violence? Yes, please. When Mao launched the movement in May 1966, he told his mobs to “bombard the headquarters” and made clear that “to rebel is justified.” He said “revisionists should be removed through violent class struggle.” The old thinkers were everywhere and were systematically trying to preserve their power and subjugate the people.

Whetted, the mobs took the task to heart: Red Guards destroyed historical relics, statues, and artifacts, and ransacked cultural and religious sites. Libraries were burned. Religion was considered a tool of capitalists and so churches were destroyed—even the Temple of Confucius was wrecked. Eventually the Red Guards moved on to openly killing people who did not think as they did. Where were the police? The cops were told not to intervene in Red Guard activities, and if they did, the national police chief pardoned the Guards for any crimes.

Education was singled out, as it was the way the old values were preserved and transmitted. Teachers, particularly those at universities, were considered the “Stinking Old Ninth” and were widely persecuted. The lucky ones just suffered the public humiliation of shaved heads, while others were tortured. Many were slaughtered or harassed into suicide. Schools and universities eventually closed down and over 10 million former students were sent to the countryside to labor under the Down to the Countryside Movement. A lost generation was abandoned to fester, uneducated. Red Guard pogroms eventually came to include the cannibalization of revisionists. After all, as Mao said, a revolution is not a dinner party.

The Cultural Revolution destroyed China’s economy and traditional culture, leaving behind a possible death toll ranging from one to 20 million. Nobody really knows. It was a war on the way people think. And it failed. One immediate consequence of the Revolution’s failure was the rise in power of the military after regular people decided they’d had enough and wanted order restored. China then became even more of a capitalist society than it had ever imagined in pre-Revolution days. Oh well.

I spoke with an elderly Chinese academic who had been forced from her classroom and made to sleep outside with the animals during the Revolution. She recalled forced self-criticism sessions that required her to guess at her crimes, as she’d done nothing more than teach literature, a kind of systematic revisionism in that it espoused beliefs her tormentors thought contributed to the rotten society. She also had to write out long apologies for being who she was. She was personally held responsible for 4,000 years of oppression of the masses. Our meeting was last year, before white guilt became a whole category on Netflix, but I wonder if she’d see now how similar it all is.

That’s probably a longer version of events than a column like this would usually feature. A tragedy on the scale of the Holocaust in terms of human lives, an attempt to destroy culture on a level that would embarrass the Taliban—this topic is not widely taught in American colleges, never mind in China.

It should be taught, because history rhymes. Chinese students are again outing teachers, sometimes via cellphone videos, for “improper speech,” teaching hurtful things from the past using the wrong vocabulary. Other Chinese intellectuals are harassed online for holding outlier positions, or lose their jobs for teaching novels with the wrong values. Once abhorred as anti-free speech, most UC Berkeley students would likely now agree that such steps are proper. In Minnesota, To Kill A Mockingbird and Huckleberry Finn are banned because fictional characters use a racial slur.

There are no statues to the Cultural Revolution here or in China. Nobody builds monuments to chaos. But it’s never really about the statues anyway. In America, we moved quickly from demands to tear down the statues of Robert E. Lee to Thomas Jefferson to basically any Caucasian, including “White Jesus.“

Of course, it was never going to stop with Confederate generals because it was not really about racism any more than the Cultural Revolution was really about capitalism. This is about rewriting history for political ends, both short-term power grabs (Not Trump 2020!) and longer term societal changes that one critic calls the “successor ideology,” the melange of academic radicalism now seeking hegemony throughout American institutions. Douglas Murray is more succinct. The purpose “is to embed a new metaphysics into our societies: a new religion.” The ideas—centered on there being only one accepted way of thought—are a tool of control.

It remains to be seen where America goes next in its own nascent cultural revolution. Like slow dancing in eighth grade, maybe nothing will come of it. These early stages, where the victims are Uncle Ben, Aunt Jemima, someone losing her temper while walking a dog in Central Park, and canceled celebrities, are a far cry from the millions murdered for the same goals in China. Much of what appears revolutionary is just Internet pranking and common looting amplified by an agendaized media. One writer sees “cancel culture as a game, the point of which is to impose unemployment on people as a form of recreation.” B-list celebs and Karens in the parking lot are easy enough targets. Ask the Red Guards: it’s fun to break things.

Still, the intellectual roots of our revolution and China’s seem similar: the hate of the old, the need for unacceptable ideas to be disappeared in the name of social progress, intolerance toward dissent, violence to enforce conformity. 

In America these are spreading outward from our universities so that everywhere today—movies, TV, publishing, news, ads, sports—is an Oberlin where in the name of free speech “hate speech” is banned, and in the name of safety dangerous ideas and the people who hold them are not only not discussed but canceled, shot down via the projectile of the heckler’s veto, unfriended, demonetized, deleted, de-platformed, demeaned, chased after by mobs both real and online in a horrible blend of self-righteousness and cyber bullying. They don’t believe in a marketplace of ideas. Ideas to the mob are either right or wrong and the “wrong” ones must be banished. The choices to survive the mobs are conformity or silence. In China, you showed conformity by carrying around Mao’s Little Red Book. In America, you wear a soiled surgical mask to the supermarket.

The philosophical spadework for an American Cultural Revolution is done. Switch the terms capitalism and revisionism with racism and white supremacy in some of Mao’s speeches and you have a decent speech draft for a Black Lives Matter rally. Actually, you can keep Mao’s references to destroying capitalism, as they track pretty closely with progressive thought in 2020 America.

History is not there to make anyone feel safe or justify current theories about policing. History exists so we can learn from it, and for us to learn from it, it has to exist for us to study it, to be offended and uncomfortable with it, to bathe in it, to taste it bitter or sweet. When you wash your hands of an idea, you lose all the other ideas that grew to challenge it. Think of those as antibodies fighting a disease. What happens when they are no longer at the ready? What happens when a body forgets how to fight an illness? What happens when a society forgets how to challenge a bad idea with a better one?

Peter Van Buren, a 24-year State Department veteran, is the author of We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People, Hooper’s War: A Novel of WWII Japan, and Ghosts of Tom Joad: A Story of the #99 Percent.

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