#klan meeting in the notes

[literaryvein-reblogs]

How to write a secret society in historical fiction setup? Say, women-only?

Writing Notes: Secret Society

Secret Society

An organization whose members are sworn to secrecy about its activities.

Any of a large range of membership organizations or associations that utilize secret initiations or other rituals and whose members often employ unique oaths, grips (handshakes), or other signs of recognition.

Elements of secrecy may vary from a mere password to elaborate rituals, private languages, costumes, and symbols.

The term may be applied to such widely divergent groups as U.S. college fraternities and sororities, the Ku Klux Klan, and international Freemasonry as well as to similar phenomena in ancient or precolonial cultures.

Historical Fiction

A literary genre where the story takes place in the past.

Historical novels capture the details of the time period as accurately as possible for authenticity, including social norms, manners, customs, and traditions.

Many novels in this genre tell fictional stories that involve actual historical figures or historical events.

Characteristics of Historical Fiction

There is a wealth of accurate historical detail relating to setting (geography, customs, beliefs, culture, society, habits) as well as to characters and events.

Story lines may focus on a particular historical event or time period, or they may follow the life of a character (real or fictional). Novels may raise difficult social or moral issues through the plot.

Characters may be real or fictional, but they are portrayed in such a way that they fit the times. The historical setting shapes their lives and actions.

Historical novels are usually big books, with stories that unfold at a leisurely pace. Even shorter Historical novels are usually so densely written that they must be read slowly.

Language and style may affect a reader’s experience. Some readers appreciate an “authentic” style, while others find this distracting. Dialects and format choices (such as epistolary novels) also affect reader reaction.

The tone of Historical novels runs the gamut from rollicking to somber, and this tone may be a major, if unacknowledged, factor in reading choices.

Example of An All-Women Secret Society

Heterodoxy - a secret society that paved the way for modern feminism.

The female debating club’s name referred to the many unorthodox women among its members. They “questioned forms of orthodoxy in culture, in politics, in philosophy—and in sexuality.”

Born as part of the initial wave of modern feminism that emerged during the 19th and early 20th centuries with suffrage at its center, the radical ideologies debated at Heterodoxy gatherings extended well beyond the scope of a women’s right to vote. In fact, Heterodoxy had only one requirement for membership: that a woman “not be orthodox in her opinion.”

Heterodoxy met every other Saturday to discuss such issues and see how members might collaborate and cultivate networks of reform. Gatherings were considered a safe space for women to talk, exchange ideas and take action.

With 25 charter members, Heterodoxy included individuals of diverse backgrounds, including lesbian and bisexual women, labor radicals and socialites, and artists and nurses.

Meetings were often held in the basement of Polly’s, a MacDougal Street hangout established by anarchist Polly Holladay. Here, at what Berman calls a “sort of nexus for progressive, artistic, intellectual and political thought,” the women would gather at wooden tables to discuss issues like fair employment and fair wages, reproductive rights, and the antiwar movement.

The meetings often went on for hours, with each typically revolving around a specific subject determined in advance.

As the club’s core members aged, Heterodoxy became more about continuing friendships than debating radical ideologies.

By the early 1940s, the biweekly meetings of Heterodoxy were no more. Still, the club’s legacy lives on, even beyond the scope of modern feminism.

Other Examples. 19th Century Collegiate Secret Societies.

Organized women’s collegiate secret societies formed across America.

These societies were created with the intent of cultivating lifelong friendships with one another, encouraging passionate “sisterly” bonds with all members, and supporting an organized network of women that would encourage their own daughters to carry on this membership into the next generation.

Adopted a motto proclaiming values of boundless loyalty to their fellow “sisters”.

Below are examples of secret societies, their respective mottos, and the dates of their founding:

The Adelphean society (later ΑΔΠ) “We Live for Each Other.” 1851

The Philomathean society (later ΦΜ) “The Faithful Sisters.” 1852

I.C. Sorosis (later ΠΒΦ) “Friends and Leaders for Life.” 1867

Alpha Phi (ΑΦ) “Union Hand in Hand” 1872

Delta Delta Delta (ΔΔΔ) “Let Us Steadfastly Love One Another” 1888

Young girls at boarding school would be “adopted” by older girls who would play as pseudo motherly figures and role models for the younger classes to admire as well as emulate.

This same process can be seen in the pledging processes of collegiate societies.

Example: The Philomathean Society was originally created as a secret literary society, membership in one of these organizations was highly coveted, and the process of mutual selection between a potential new member and the respective society often caused a plethora of emotions to stir.

In their annual yearbook from the year 1900 is a story that was written with the intention to depict what life was like for a Philomathean, and detailed the secrecy and the high emotions that were involved in the pledging process.

Initiated upperclassmen were considered “the girls to be” and were admired by many freshmen for their demeanor and social presence in the school.

As these upperclassmen both from the Adelphean society and the Philomathean society sought out potential new members, there were secret interactions between potential new members and initiated members to try and connect more deeply with each new girl and sway her to pledge to a certain society.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Incorporate elements and characteristics of historical fiction in your story, and research more on which women-only secret society your work will center around. You may even take inspiration from more than one secret society from history. Do go through the sources above as I only included excerpts here. Hope this helps with your writing!

[embodiedfutures]

introductory excerpts on COINTELPRO

it came to my awareness that some folks don't know what COINTELPRO is still, so imma drop some excerpts from the wikipedia page. ofc there are a billion other resources you can check out, especially firsthand accounts, but this is always a good place to start! link attached below:

[Note that the embedded link above's photo has the following caption: "COINTELPRO memo proposing a plan to expose the pregnancy of actress Jean Seberg, a financial supporter of the Black Panther Party, hoping to "possibly cause her embarrassment or tarnish her image with the general public". Covert campaigns to publicly discredit activists and destroy their interpersonal relationships were a common tactic used by COINTELPRO agents."]

The Introduction:

COINTELPRO (syllabic abbreviation derived from Counter Intelligence Program; 1956–1971) was a series of covert and illegal[1][2] projects actively conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting domestic American political organizations.[3][4] FBI records show COINTELPRO resources targeted groups and individuals the FBI[5] deemed subversive,[6] including feminist organizations,[7][8] the Communist Party USA,[9] anti–Vietnam War organizers, activists of the civil rights and Black power movements (e.g. Martin Luther King Jr., the Nation of Islam, and the Black Panther Party), environmentalist and animal rights organizations, the American Indian Movement (AIM), Chicano and Mexican-American groups like the Brown Berets and the United Farm Workers, independence movements (including Puerto Rican independence groups such as the Young Lords and the Puerto Rican Socialist Party), a variety of organizations that were part of the broader New Left, and white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan[10][11] and the far-right group National States' Rights Party.[12]

Methods COINTELPRO Utilized

According to attorney Brian Glick in his book War at Home, the FBI used five main methods during COINTELPRO:

Infiltration: Agents and informers did not merely spy on political activists. Their main purpose was to discredit, disrupt and negatively redirect action. Their very presence served to undermine trust and scare off potential supporters. The FBI and police exploited this fear to smear genuine activists as agents.

Psychological warfare: The FBI and police used a myriad of "dirty tricks" to undermine movements. They planted false media stories and published bogus leaflets and other publications in the name of targeted groups. They forged correspondence, sent anonymous letters, and made anonymous telephone calls. They spread misinformation about meetings and events, set up pseudo movement groups run by government agents, and manipulated or strong-armed parents, employers, landlords, school officials, and others to cause trouble for activists. They used bad-jacketing to create suspicion about targeted activists, sometimes with lethal consequences.[74]

Harassment via the legal system: The FBI and police abused the legal system to harass dissidents and make them appear to be criminals. Officers of the law gave perjured testimony and presented fabricated evidence as a pretext for false arrests and wrongful imprisonment. They discriminatorily enforced tax laws and other government regulations and used conspicuous surveillance, "investigative" interviews, and grand jury subpoenas in an effort to intimidate activists and silence their supporters.[73][75]

Illegal force: The FBI conspired with local police departments to threaten dissidents; to conduct illegal break-ins in order to search dissident homes; and to commit vandalism, assaults, beatings and assassinations.[73] The objective was to frighten or eliminate dissidents and disrupt their movements.

Undermine public opinion: One of the primary ways the FBI targeted organizations was by challenging their reputations in the community and denying them a platform to gain legitimacy. Hoover specifically designed programs to block leaders from "spreading their philosophy publicly or through the communications media". Furthermore, the organization created and controlled negative media meant to undermine black power organizations. For instance, they oversaw the creation of "documentaries" skillfully edited to paint the Black Panther Party as aggressive, and false newspapers that spread misinformation about party members. The ability of the FBI to create distrust within and between revolutionary organizations tainted their public image and weakened chances at unity and public support.[49]

The FBI specifically developed tactics intended to heighten tension and hostility between various factions in the black power movement, for example between the Black Panthers and the US Organization. For instance, the FBI sent a fake letter to the US Organization exposing a supposed Black Panther plot to murder the head of the US Organization, Ron Karenga. They then intensified this by spreading falsely attributed cartoons in the black communities pitting the Black Panther Party against the US Organization.[49] This resulted in numerous deaths, among which were San Diego Black Panther Party members John Huggins, Bunchy Carter and Sylvester Bell.[73] Another example of the FBI's anonymous letter writing campaign is how they turned the Blackstone Rangers head, Jeff Fort, against former ally Fred Hampton, by stating that Hampton had a hit on Fort.[49] They also were instrumental in developing the rift between Black Panther Party leaders Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton, as executed through false letters inciting the two leaders of the Black Panther Party.[49]

...

In order to eliminate black militant leaders whom they considered dangerous, the FBI is believed to have worked with local police departments to target specific individuals,[78] accuse them of crimes they did not commit, suppress exculpatory evidence and falsely incarcerate them. Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, a Black Panther Party leader, was incarcerated for 27 years before a California Superior Court vacated his murder conviction, ultimately freeing him. Appearing before the court, an FBI agent testified that he believed Pratt had been framed, because both the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department knew he had not been in the area at the time the murder occurred.[79][80]

...

In 1969 the FBI special agent in San Francisco wrote Hoover that his investigation of the Black Panther Party had concluded that in his city, at least, the Panthers were primarily engaged in feeding breakfast to children. Hoover fired back a memo implying the agent's career goals would be directly affected by his supplying evidence to support Hoover's view that the Black Panther Party was "a violence-prone organization seeking to overthrow the Government by revolutionary means".[84]

Hoover supported using false claims to attack his political enemies. In one memo he wrote: "Purpose of counterintelligence action is to disrupt the Black Panther Party and it is immaterial whether facts exist to substantiate the charge."[85]

Intended Effects of COINTELPRO

The intended effect of the FBI's COINTELPRO was to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, or otherwise neutralize" groups that the FBI officials believed were "subversive"[58] by instructing FBI field operatives to:[59] 1. Create a negative public image for target groups (for example through surveilling activists and then releasing negative personal information to the public) 2. Break down internal organization by creating conflicts (for example, by having agents exacerbate racial tensions, or send anonymous letters to try to create conflicts) 3. Create dissension between groups (for example, by spreading rumors that other groups were stealing money) 4. Restrict access to public resources (for example, by pressuring non-profit organizations to cut off funding or material support) 5. Restrict the ability to organize protest (for example, through agents promoting violence against police during planning and at protests) 6. Restrict the ability of individuals to participate in group activities (for example, by character assassinations, false arrests, surveillance)

When did they start?

Centralized operations under COINTELPRO officially began in August 1956 with a program designed to "increase factionalism, cause disruption and win defections" inside the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). Tactics included anonymous phone calls, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits, and the creation of documents that would divide the American communist organization internally.[9] An October 1956 memo from Hoover reclassified the FBI's ongoing surveillance of black leaders, including it within COINTELPRO, with the justification that the movement was infiltrated by communists.[31] In 1956, Hoover sent an open letter denouncing Dr. T. R. M. Howard, a civil rights leader, surgeon, and wealthy entrepreneur in Mississippi who had criticized FBI inaction in solving recent murders of George W. Lee, Emmett Till, and other African Americans in the South.[32] When the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an African-American civil rights organization, was founded in 1957, the FBI began to monitor and target the group almost immediately, focusing particularly on Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levison, and eventually Martin Luther King Jr.[33]

How did the news get out about COINTELPRO?

The program was secret until March 8, 1971, when the Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI burgled an FBI field office in Media, Pennsylvania, took several dossiers, and exposed the program by passing this material to news agencies.[1][54] The boxing match known as the Fight of the Century between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in March 1971 provided cover for the activist group to successfully pull off the burglary. Muhammad Ali was a COINTELPRO target because he had joined the Nation of Islam and the anti-war movement.[55] Many news organizations initially refused to immediately publish the information, with the notable exception of The Washington Post. After affirming the reliability of the documents, it published them on the front page (in defiance of the Attorney General's request), prompting other organizations to follow suit. Within the year, Director J. Edgar Hoover declared that the centralized COINTELPRO was over, and that all future counterintelligence operations would be handled case by case.[56][57]

[shipoftheseusofficial]

LOTS of misc thoughts about Sinners after rewatch!! I've had a few days to turn it over and listen to the soundtrack.

The first shot is so good (the sun doubled like two glowing eyes through the trees).

Smoke & Stack's intro shot establishes a ton of character details. On first watch I was hyper-aware of the twin effect, so I was just watching the cigarette passes as a bit of technical business to show off the shot complexity, and admiring the seamlessness of it all, it wasn't until next watch that I realized they were setting up the running callback of Stack rolling Smoke's cigarettes for him. And other small but distinct character choices, like Smoke checking his watch impatiently.

In the first mill scene there's 2 vultures circling and then a 3rd that joins when the klan guy shows up. Then later there are 3 vultures again circling the white couple's house that Remmick goes to, and they fly down to roost after he is invited inside.

I looooove Annie and Smoke's theme. There's so much longing and love and grief in it. I've been listening a lot to both the soundtrack and the score albums. It's such a good score and shoutout to that theme in particular. Special shoutout to track 6 "Why You Here / Before the Sun Went Down"

Noted in the credits: Michael B. Jordan's body double for the twin scenes also cameos as the chain gang member who jumps up when Delta Slim calls out to them.

The break into act 2 is super clear in this story... The whole plot happens within 24 hours and so there's a clear day-to-night transition. But that change is story-relevant as well as visual. We check in with the sun periodically as we follow Smoke and Stack around town meeting all our key supporting players, ending with a soaring music montage as everyone packs up for the mill (shoutout once again to track 6!) Then, with a shift in tone, we're introduced to our final key player just as the sun goes down. The progress of the setting sun both keeps us in mind of vampire lore and sets a ticking timer (here's how long they have left before danger sets in); and this is pretty important because it takes quite a while for the vampire to be properly introduced! It's a simple & elegant way to maintain tension throughout the whole establishing act.

Overall, the movie consistently nails the basics. Which, granted, is harder than it looks, but frankly the bar is pretty low. Foundational "movie" things like establishing characters and setting and conflict. It has a great flow and a great sound. The music and art direction elevate and inform the story.

And the costuming! Stack's grill is really visually important. When he speaks to them through the door we just see the flash of his teeth and it's immediately identifying.

Ryan Coogler pointed out the visual parallels to Wagner Moura's red-eyed wolf in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (his MIND!), but Remmick has qualities of other 'big bad wolf' characters, too. He's a little bit 'Three Little Pigs,' a little bit 'Little Red Riding Hood.' He'll say all the right things but it's only a thinning veneer over his rabid bloodlust. He deceives and threatens and he wants to get into your home! He's disguised as something harmless in order to infiltrate your family! I love how much they (the filmmakers) play around with the vampires needing to being invited in and how much time we spend on Remmick earnestly pitching vampirism and very nearly convincing each survivor in turn. Grace, then Sammy, then Stack all need to be physically stopped from running out the door.

A few negatives. The final wrap-ups could have maybe been condensed. But before daybreak hits, if anything the script is a bit too tightly written. The issue is it's hard to believe enough time has passed that we've made it to sunrise. When Grace calls the vampires in, out of desperation, it feels like it ought to be the middle of the night; it would make sense for her to decide to act if the vampires still had hours left to rampage into town. But then the sun rises within what seems like 20 minutes; maybe the heroes could have tried something else to distract them until they need to shelter down somewhere. And this isn't a character critique; I think the writing could have been more considerate here. If there was a clearer indication that they were heading towards town just before Grace breaks, I'd be totally with her.

I've become a little confused about the vague tidbits we learn of Remmick's backstory; people have pointed out that it wouldn't make sense for him to pre-date Irish Christianity, but that's what he seems to allude to when he says "those men preached of a world where man rules over beast, with a god above - but we are man and beast and god..." Which is a line that goes pretty hard!!! But, wouldn't it make more sense for him to be from the time of British colonization and ethnic cleansing, when the Irish had already been Christian for like 600 years? If he's in fact talking about forced conversion from Catholicism does his speech still make sense? Was this a rare cultural oversight in a film that's otherwise very attentive to such details? Do I need to do more research?

More positives. I'm so blown away by the persistent parallels between the hive-mind vampirism and Sammy's father's church. In the opening, the first two times the editing slashes us back to the previous night, it's while Sammy's father walks towards him with arms outstretched and it flashes to Remmick with the same intention.

I just watched this great interview with Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Göransson where they talk about their connection to the Blues genre and how those inspirations are woven into the movie. I didn't realize how personal this film actually was for both of them. Ryan Coogler included a saved voicemail from his late uncle at the end of one of the songs in the soundtrack.

Gagged me a bit when Ludwig pointed out that the refrain in Sammy's song, "somebody take me in your arms tonight," (in addition to seducing Pearline) can also be understood as calling Remmick to him.

Another music thing that occurred to me that I haven't seen anyone point out — the blaring power-chord motif for the vampires has a shimmery organ in the instrumentation; what else does organ music often evoke? The church!

An underrated theme I've been thinking on; how this movie explores the idea that duality/'being able to play both sides' invites danger. The metaphor is embodied through Sammy's music, which can pierce the veil between life and death, inviting joy and communion but also malicious spirits. There's the duality of the twins themselves; Smoke and Stack are said to have 'played both sides' with the Italian and Irish mobs in Chicago. They got away with it for the time being, but we get the sense that inevitably it would have caught up to them. We also see the danger of ambiguity play out in different ways through Grace, Mary, and Remmick with regards to race and community. Grace's family owns grocery stores on the white and Black sides of the street, and we meet Grace traversing from one side to the other. They are allied with their Black patrons but (arguably) do not fully exist within either space. When the night turns violent, Grace wants to leave because they 'didn't sign up for this,' and it leads to Bo getting turned. Remmick is an example of a malicious actor; he appeals to whiteness and then later to 'equality' as manipulation tactics to get what he wants. Mary has a fraught relationship to whiteness/passing whiteness because it separates her from her community; she first tries to deny her whiteness and then offers to wield it, but this only ends up making her the first target of the vampires, who then infiltrate her back in and use her to harm the community.

[casualevan]

New To Superman?

*Swivels around in villain chair petting a cat

So, you just caught up with My Adventures with Superman and you want to know what to read or watch while you wait for new episodes? SAY NO MORE! Here’s a list of personal faves of mine!  Now some notes, different writers have different takes in different decades and the publishers can play it fast and lose with continuity. So going from one story to another, you might notice some changes. Like weather or not Clark’s parents are alive or if Lois dating Clark etcetera etcetera. Don’t worry about it, just roll with it.

Now lets get started with THE SUPER LIST! 

Superman: Birthright 

A solid starting point graphic novel. It’s got everything ya need for his origin story and is a fantastic character study of Clark and his arch enemy Lex Luthor. The art is pretty good as well and does a great job of showing both sides of Clark’s character and power. If you love the show and want to see how the books handle the Man of Steel’s first run in Metropolis then you got yourself a fun book.

Next we’ll get into some movies! Now, you can watch most of these on hbomax so let’s all vote with our wallets and support the official release! That way studios don’t make us wait ANOTHER 20 years for a Superman cartoon. 

Superman: Unbound 

Superman faces a cosmic alien super computer named Brainiac! Braniac’s deal is he wants to put cities in small bottles and then blow up the rest of the planet he collects them from. It’s a cool conflict cuz it’s a villain Superman can’t just PUNCH into submission. As Braniac can just download into another body if he did. So Superman is gonna have to get super smart to out smart a super computer..... listen the movie’s writing is better than mine, trust me.

Superman Vs The Elite

Oh, here we GO! Okay so this full movie is based on ONE issues of the comics. ONE. Not a 6 part mini series arc collected into one trade paperback. ONE COMIC! It was THAT GOOD! Superman meets some new heroes on the block, THE ELITE. They’re GRITTY and DARK and SERIOUS ANTI HEROES who aren’t afraid to KILL the bad guys! They’re also here to try and force Superman to retire his wholesome way of saving the day. This movie has amazing action animation and phenomenal writing that shows why the core character of Clark being kind still resonates with audiences when given the chance. (You’ve probably seen the big speech from this movie passed around youtube a lot and rightly so. This is a good one, go watch it!) Now, Superman has one of the all time iconic origin stories, but how does his story end? Well lots of writers have tried their hands at it. A few of them are good but my personal fave is probably ALL STAR SUPERMAN

Lex Luthor finally finds a way to beat Superman, but Clark isn’t going down without a fight and without saving as many lives as he can. It’s a grand all star parade of all the wild and wacky pulp adventure camp that has built up around the legacy of the Last Son of Krypton. If you want a satisfying conclusion to Superman’s story then it’s hard to top this one. Heck the book is also pretty damn good too! 

There is... a LOT of Superman content. 80 years worth to be exact. This list is far from complete and is only meant to serve as a starting point for diving into all this Super Lore. I for one am glad My Adventures With Superman seems to have lit a fire under the fanbase and I’m happy to welcome all you new readers and watchers to one of my all time favorite Superheroes.  HONERABLE MENTIONS! 

SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN! It’s exactly what the title says. Go read it! It’s inspired by the old school radio show (podcasts for your grandparents) that had REAL WORLD IMPACTS in the USA. 

Finally, the 40′s Cartoons

These are a BIT dated and light on actual plot and character but there’s a retro charm to some of these.  Okay, That’s enough from me. What are YOUR top recommendations for new fans? Let me know in the reblogs! 

[yarrayora]

end of the year book stuff tagged by @carriagelamp

How many books did you read this year?

does comic books count? if yes then i didn't count, if no then i'm pretty sure just two (but comics should absolutely count btw)

Did you reread anything? What?

i always reread servamp all the time so i can write Essays. also i reread katekyo hitman reborn for nostalgia and crossover reasons. TECHNICALLY i reread dante's inferno even though i never finished it because i'm not used to classic so i have to repeat the paragraphs before Getting it

What were your top five books of the year?

GIDEON THE NINTH!!! also Superman Smashes the Klan. the rest of the top 5 is servamp, unfortunately

Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

if i have never read tamsyn muir's homestuck fic before then it would have been her, but because i have that means she's an old fave-- oH i guess ryohgo narita counts? i knew he wrote durarara but i never truly managed to appreciate his writing until i read dead mount deathplay

What genre did you read the most of?

fantasy, duh

Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

too like a lightning by ada palmer. i keep forgetting i already have an e-book of it

What was your average Goodreads rating? Does it seem accurate?

i dont use goodreads thumbs up emoji

Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?

yeah, finally reading original novels again. im trying to beat my ADHD so i can devour books the way i did during childhood

Did you get into any new genres?

new genre huh uhhhh... no. i know what i like

What was your favorite new release of the year?

i don't follow new release i just browse the bookstores and hope something speaks to me

What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

gideon the ninth

Any books that disappointed you?

i dropped a lot of books and nothing this year has disappointed me enough for me to remember their titles

What were your least favorite books of the year?

bungou stray dogs look the light novels are still REALLY well written. i also appreciate how beautiful the translation can be. but the canon storyline fucking sucks. it betrays its theme when it comes to handling abusers by making this little girl who gets physically abused by her dad as a form of discipline to look up to him as a hero because dad's a cop

What books do you want to finish before the year is over?

i don't care about something like that

Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?

i don't follow book awards either

What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

i tried reading blue lock and it's the worst sports manga i have ever read. i can't get over how stupid the premise is. soccer is a team sport you idiot (note that this book didnt disappoint me because i never had any expectations for it in the first place)

Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

oh yeah JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World. I went into it expecting a cheap smutty story but turns out it's a pretty feminist narrative about sex workers and how no matter talented a woman is as long as the environment around her is aggressively and violently patriarchal those talents that would make men a hero would make women accused as demons-- but that's okay because you don't need the power to slay an entire army to change the world. sometimes, eating at a cafe in a world where women arent allowed to go outside without a chaperone is more revolutionary than magic that can burn a horde of monsters into cinders

How many books did you buy?

more than five

Did you use your library?

there is no usable library around me

What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

i dont follow new release remember

Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

oh yeh i watch them from the sideline with popcorn and all, thats crazy

What’s the longest book you read?

dante's inferno

What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book?

back when i was a kid i read three pjo books in one day. i don't do that anymore

Did you DNF anything? Why?

i read reeeeeeally slow now so it's less not finishing and more like taking long breaks inbetween

What reading goals do you have for next year?

finish gideon the ninth so i can read the next one

[arthurdrakoni]

The hit historical fiction audio drama 1865 returns for an absolutely fantastic second season at long last. This is my review.

1865 is one of the audio dramas I hold as the gold standards of what audio fiction is capable of.  I had been eagerly awaiting for season two to come out, and the wait is finally.  Season 2 is here at long last, and so is my review.  

Season two of 1865 begins where season one ended. Ulysses S. Grant has been elected the eighteenth President of the United States. Grant proved himself on the battlefields of the American Civil War, and has become a national hero. However, Grant is about to face a whole new set of challenges. Challenges that he might not be totally prepared for. There are white supremacist insurgency groups spreading across the South. Of particular note is a new group calling themselves The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Grant must try his best to clean-up the mess that Andrew Johnson created, and preserve the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. Grant must guide America through the tumultuous Reconstruction era. However, Grant will be hounded by accusations of corruption within his administration. He will find that, sometimes, his greatest allies can be his worst enemies.

Season 2 was exactly what I expected.  I expected it to be absolutely amazing, and it did not disappoint.  Steve Walters and Erik Archilla give a very warts and all depiction of Grant.  The give him credit that is long over due, such as how he played in major role in totally obliterating the first incarnation of the Ku Klux Klan.  However, they don’t shy away from how his naivety and over trusting nature lead to a lot of corruption from his closest allies. 

We also get outside the halls of power and get to see the view from the streets.  We follow several black characters in South Carolina, and in doing so, gain perspective on how Reconstruction is going.  We are introduced to several lesser known figures from American History.  For example, we get to meet Jim Williams, who lead an all black militia regiment who helped protect voting rights for the freedmen. 

There are plans for third season, but it is kind of up in the air at the moment.  Then again, there originally weren’t plans for Season 2.  But thanks to massive fan support, season two happened.  So, who knows?  I certainly hope we get a season 3. 

Have you listened to Season 2 of 1865?  If so, what did you think?

Link to the original review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-audio-file-1865-season-2.html?m=1

And if you here’s the link to my review of Season 1 if you need it: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-audio-file-1865.html?m=1 

[lboogie1906]

Established December 6, 1869, the National Labor Union, known as the Colored National Labor Union, was formed by African Americans to organize their labor on a national level. The CNLU was created to improve the working conditions and quality of life for its members.

African Americans were excluded from some existing labor unions, such as when white workers formed the National Labor Union. William Sylvis, president of the NLU, made a speech in which he agreed that there should be “no distinction of race or nationality”. In 1869 several African American delegates were invited to the annual meeting of the NLU, among them Isaac Myers, a prominent organizer of African American laborers. He spoke for solidarity, saying that white and African American workers ought to organize together for higher wages and a comfortable standard of living.

Frederick Douglass was selected as the president of the CNLU in 1872. The CNLU sent delegates to the 1870 National Labor Convention, but following the NLU’s rejection of African American abolitionist attorney John M. Langston’s admission, the CNLU broke off most of its contact with the NLU.

The CNLU established the Bureau of Labor. The Bureau of Labor was designed to assist workers of color in organizing throughout the country. Isaac Meyers encouraged the organization of African American workers and attempted to convince white labor unions to allow workers of color within their organizations. He focused on mechanics and mechanic unions, as he believed that white mechanic labor unions were designed to withhold specific positions from African American workers. At the CNLU’s second annual convention, Myers claimed that the educational and financial resources provided by the CNLU and the Bureau of Labor were insufficient and noted that the Ku Klux Klan’s power in the South prevented the organization of African American laborers.

By 1872, the CNLU had ceased most of its operations and would disband. It was not until after WWII that the government stepped in and encouraged the development of the Fair Employment Practices Commission. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[daemosghost]

Chat I got my post on reddit deleted because they decided to have a klan meeting in the replies about how I'm racist and how what I said was discriminatory towards....*checks notes* white suburban people....and the they reported the post and got it removed

Like how terminally online are these people bro....

[meriden-party-rentals-llc]

Meriden Party Rentals, LLC

Nestled in New Haven County, Meriden, Connecticut, is rich in history and vibrant in culture. Positioned between New Haven and Hartford, this city is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region and had a population of 60,850 in 2020. With roots dating back to its days as part of Wallingford, Meriden became an independent town in 1806 and was incorporated as a city in 1867. Its name was inspired by the village of Meriden in England, and it boasts the Solomon Goffe House, the oldest standing house built in 1711, now a cherished museum.

Meriden’s industrial boom in the late 19th century earned it a significant place in manufacturing history. The city became renowned for its silver production, earning the moniker "Silver City." The Meriden Britannia Company was an important player, later merging into the International Silver Company. Additionally, companies like Edward Miller & Co. and Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company specialized in lamps and metalware. At the same time, the C.F. Monroe Company and Meriden Flint Glass Company were noted for their exquisite glassware. Manning, Bowman & Co. produced small kitchen appliances, and Parker Brothers were famous for their high-quality firearms. Musical instruments crafted by Wilcox and White and the Aeolian Company added to the city’s industrial prestige.

The city is also known for its beautiful public spaces, notably Hubbard Park. This park, designed with input from the Olmsted Brothers, features the iconic Castle Craig, dedicated in 1900, offering breathtaking views. The Curtis Memorial Library opened in 1903 and serves as a cultural landmark. In 1860, Meriden hosted a speech by Abraham Lincoln during his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. From 1937 to 1950, the International Silver Company sponsored the popular Silver Theater radio and TV show, featuring Hollywood stars and showcasing Meriden’s influence in entertainment.

Technological innovation also marked Meriden’s history. In 1939, Edwin Howard Armstrong, a pioneer in radio technology, used West Peak for one of the first FM radio broadcasts. During World War II, Meriden's factories operated continuously, earning the city the title of "National Ideal War Community" in 1944. The post-war era saw Meriden become a center for modern art, thanks to the Miller Company and art collectors Burton and Emily Hall Tremaine. Their "Painting toward Architecture" exhibition gained national recognition, placing Meriden on the contemporary art and design map.

In 1987, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation was established to support the arts, learning disabilities, and the environment, reflecting Meriden’s ongoing commitment to cultural and social development. The city also served as a filming location for the 1989 movie "Jackknife," starring Robert De Niro, which brought Hollywood glamour to local landmarks. Despite facing social challenges in the early 1980s, including the presence of the Ku Klux Klan, Meriden has continued to grow and evolve.

Today, Meriden is home to the Franciscan Sisters and Brothers of the Eucharist and hosts the headquarters of Eastern Mountain Sports. The city remains a vibrant community celebrating its historical heritage while embracing modern developments. From its industrial roots to its cultural contributions, Meriden is a testament to resilience and innovation, making it a noteworthy part of Connecticut’s diverse landscape.

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[arpov-blog-blog]

..."Thirty years ago," Damon Linker told The Guardian, "if I told you that a bunch of billionaires and intellectuals on the right are waiting in the wings to impose a dictatorship on the United States, you would have said that I was insane."

Now, however, the senior lecturer at Penn State's Department of Political Science and author of the Notes From the Middleground Substack newsletter has reconsidered.

"But it's no longer insane," Linker writes. "It's now real. There are those people out there." And, Linker notes, "The question is: will they get their chance."

The simple reality is that they already have had their chance in multiple red states, and when we watch what they're doing with it we see that step by step, day by day, Republicans are inching towards full-blown fascism. Now they're calling to end democracy and replace our president with a "Red Caesar."

They no longer believe in elections, because the American people are rejecting their vision of more tax cuts for billionaires, hating on racial and gender minorities, and more fossil-fuel pollution to destroy our planet.

So instead of trying to get elected by presenting honest differences in policy from Democrats, Republicans have resorted to massive gerrymandering, purging voting rolls of millions of Americans who live in blue cities within red states and dark-money TV carpet-bombing campaigns often filled with lies and half-truths.

But that's just the beginning.

Wisconsin voters elected a Democratic justice to the state Supreme Court, Janet Protasiewicz, and Republicans are trying to impeach her before she's heard a single case because they believe (probably correctly) that she will vote to declare their gerrymandered legislative map — which overwhelmingly favors Republicans, out of proportion to their strength in the state — unconstitutional.

North Carolina is so gerrymandered that the majority of the state's residents vote for Democrats (which is why the governor is a Democrat) but, as in Wisconsin, Republicans hold a solid majority in the state House, the state Senate and the congressional delegation. So I guess it shouldn't surprise us that a committee co-chaired by Republican state Senate President Phil Berger and Republican state House Speaker Tim Moore just gave itself Gestapo-like powers.

The Republican-controlled Joint Legislative Committee on Government Operations — or, as Judd Legum notes at Popular.info, Gov Ops for short — now has the power to break into the home or office of anybody in the state who has worked for or with state government and go through their files and even personal phones and computers.

Meanwhile, down in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has created two new armed organizations answerable to himself: a new "state guard" militia and a police agency that is supposed to provide for "election integrity" (GOP code for preventing Black people in blue cities from voting).

As former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist (now a Democrat) said of DeSantis' new armed officers: "No governor should have his own handpicked secret police."

Across the country, Republicans are threatening and intimidating teachers and librarians into stripping from their collections any books that positively portray Black or queer people.

Armed fascist militias supportive of those efforts show up at school board and other meetings with assault rifles strapped across their backs to heckle and threaten elected officials.

Dozens of white supremacist militia groups nationwide — modern versions of the old Ku Klux Klan — openly embrace Republican politicians while parading with Nazi and Confederate flags.

Donald Trump, the American fascist movement's current standard-bearer, has said that if he again gains the White House he will immediately lock up and then prosecute high-profile Democrats and the judges and prosecutors who have tried to hold him to account for his decades of criminal activity.

When last in office he tried to stop and then to overturn an election; should he get elected again it will almost certainly be the last free and fair election in the nation.

Trump uses racial slurs — calling the Black prosecutors who have gone after him "Riggers" and "racists" — to crank his white supremacist base into stochastic terror violence.

He has also said that — like Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orbán — he will investigate for "treason" and then presumably shut down network television news outlets that don't echo his talking points and unquestioningly broadcast his lies.

Not a single Republican of national stature has stood up to condemn any of this rhetoric. The entire party is terrified of this 77-year-old who recently told an audience that he'd beaten Barack Obama in the 2016 election and he was worried that Democrats might "start World War II."

Our corporate media, of course, buried those stories while obsessing on concerns that President Biden is too old for his job. It's almost as if the network executives are already looking forward to another tax cut when Trump gets back in."

[roscoebarnes3]

Nelson's talk on Ben Chester White draws record crowd

Stanley Nelson is speaking at the Sept. 26 meeting of the Natchez Historical Society at Historic Natchez Foundation. His topic is the 1966 execution of Ben Chester White by three members of the Ku Klux Klan. Photo courtesy of Jessica Ingram

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

By ROSCOE BARNES III The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- Stanley Nelson's talk on the 1966 murder of Ben Chester White drew 120 people to the Sept. 26 meeting of the Natchez Historical Society at the Historic Natchez Foundation, according to people who attended the event.

The attendance set a record for the society, which averages 50 people at the monthly meetings, according to Alan Wolf, a director of the society and its program chair.   However, the recent meeting with Nelson rivals the society's annual dinner in January that set a record with more than 100 attendees, Wolf said.    "It was electric," Wolf said. "There were so many new faces, and we were on the edges of our seats."   Jeff Mansell, lead historian of the Natchez National Historical Park, agreed. "This is as good as it gets," he said. "We had a great attendance, and people were deeply moved by the presentation."   "The NHS meeting Tuesday night was a huge success," said Linda Ogden, society board member. "The audience was indeed large and diverse."   Society board member Adam Gwin said the gathering says a lot about the community: "I think it says a great deal for a community that wants to look at its past and face it honestly."   The presentation   Nelson’s presentation was titled, "Murder on Pretty Creek: New Revelations on an Old Case." It focused on White, the 67-year-old Black man who was executed in 1966 by members of the Klan. White lived in a small community known as Sandy Creek, where his house still stands to this day.   Nelson talked about White's alleged killers, two of whom, Ernest Avants and James Lloyd Jones, were charged but not convicted in 1967; and a third one, Claude Fuller, who was never brought to trial. Avants was convicted decades later in federal court and died in prison a short time after his conviction.

Ben Chester White

During his talk, Nelson focused on the Klan activities in the Kingston community. He also discussed the personal life history of White and his friends. Nelson said White was only five feet tall and weighed 155 pounds. He was known as a "soft spoken gentleman" who was not involved with political or civil rights activism.   Nelson spoke about Jimmy Carter and Boyd Sojourner, both of whom became Adams County Supervisors. Both had also worked cattle together with White, and they knew each other all their lives, Nelson said. Carter owned the farm where White had lived and worked.   Nelson zeroed in on the planning of the murder and how it went down. He showed, among other things, that the Klan made two attempts on White's life.   One of White's murderers said they killed him in order to lure Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Natchez to be assassinated. Nelson believes the killing was a "local action" and said he found no evidence connecting the murder to higher ranks of the White Knights of the Klan.   Nelson said a longer version of his presentation will be posted on Louisiana State University's website (lsucoldcaseproject.com).   Nelson is the former editor of the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, La. He is also the author of “Devils Walking: Klan Murders Along the Mississippi River in the 1960s (LSU Press, 2016) and “Klan of Devils: The Murder of a black Louisiana Deputy Sheriff” (LSU, 2021).   The audience

Nelson said he was happy to share his research on the White's murder and quite pleased to have a large and diverse audience.   "It was really good to see people so interested in our history and want to know about that terrible thing that happened to Ben Chester White," Nelson said. He noted the audience was "very attentive" and asked "great questions."   Nelson said relatives of White also attended the meeting, as did Denise Jackson Ford, daughter of slain Natchez civil rights leader Wharlest Jackson Sr.   "It was just a really great mixture of age groups and great turnout," Nelson said. "I was glad to see good African American representation there Tuesday night. Hopefully they will become part of the work being done by the Natchez Historical Society."   The audience included a white couple of some years who were farming near the area where the murder took place, according to Wolf. He added, "They knew Chester White. To him, he was Mr. Ches. They came and were very touched. They were shocked at the time of the murder."   Wolf said the meeting amounted to a memorial service to Chester White. The room was packed, he said, noting the meeting was a big deal in exposing the horror of the Ben Chester White case.   "There was some belated justice done for Mr. White simply by the telling of his story," Wolf said.   "Our audience doesn’t shy away from the difficult topic of race," he continued. "To the contrary, there may be a deep-seated desire to talk about it, and as long we have people like Stanley Nelson, who is profound and sympathetic, without being shrill and demagogic, we can have a good discussion."   Wolf and others said the Sept. 26 meeting will be hard to top. "We can equal this in future programs, but in terms of gravitas, we will never exceed it," Wolf said.

[patheticprogrammingperson]

So, finally, it's time.

Cigars Of The Pharaoh is, in my opinion, the first "good" Tintin book, and also the first with sufficient overarching storyline for me to review it in a non-linear manner, whereas my past three Tintin reviews were directly following the book's "plot-lines".

I suspect this will be a little unpolished, as I'm not really used to writing in this manner, so expect iffy quality.

Plot-line

COTP, like all good children's books, is centered around optimum smuggling, police incompetence, and a jungle ku klux klan.

It, once more, has the same unusual plot movement, going from one set-piece to another with somewhat rough threads tying them together, but it does have an overbearing plot-line, the aforementioned opium.

Here's a rough overview:

Tintin goes on a cruse -> Tintin meets a "mad" egyptologist -> Tintin is falsely accused of opium smuggling -> Tintin breaks into a pharaoh's tomb -> Tintin discovers several crates of cigars -> Tintin is knocked out -> Tintin is thrown into the red sea in a coffin -> Tintin fishes up a shark -> Tintin is rescued by a dhow -> Tintin meets Senhor Oliveira de Figueira -> Tintin is scammed -> Senhor Oliveira de Figueira scams more pepole -> Tintin is kidnapped (not for the last time) -> Tintin intrudes on a film-set (wasting precious film) -> Tintin returns to the dhow -> Tintin is framed for gun-running -> HOLY HELL IT'S THOMPSON (with a p, as in psychic) AND THOMSON (without a p, as in Gyrodyne) -> Tintin wanders in the desert -> Thompson (with a p, as in psychotherapy) and Thomson (without a p, as in discombobulate) start a war -> Tintin is enlisted -> Tintin is sentenced to death for spying -> Tintin is executed by firing squad -> Thompson (with a p, as in pseudonym) and Thomson (without a p, as in artillery) rescue Tintin -> Tintin escapes by plane -> Tintin crashes into the jungle -> Tintin learns how to talk to elephants -> Tintin re-meets the "mad" egyptologist (now extra "mad") -> Tintin almost gets murdered by the "mad" egyptologist -> Tintin gets sent to a Psychiatric hospital -> Tintin escapes via soup and train -> Tintin meets the Maharajah of Gaipajama -> Tintin wrestles a tiger -> Tintin finds a bunker -> "jungle ku klux klan" -> Tintin recovers a kidnap victim -> Tintin discovers that the cigars from the start of the book contain opium -> End.

Got through that?

Good.

If you couldn't follow, Tintin tracks down a gang that smuggles opium out of India via fake cigars.

It's all well-written and entertaining, but it still has a lack of overall cohesion, like this review.

It's overall a massive improvement over the last three, but I still can't call it "good".

Characters

Now, here is where COTP shines (even if it doesn't shine that much), it introduced Rastapopoulos (assuming, you, like me, don't count that one panel in TIA), Tintin's reoccurring big bad, Alan, reoccurring little bad, and my favourite characters in all of Tintin: Thompson (with a p, as in receipt) and Thomson (without a p, as in blundering), who are, as always, rather funny.

Other than that, the primary character we have is Dr Sarcophagus (the "mad" egyptologist), and a cast of 1-time 1-note characters, the Maharajah, Senhor Oliveira de Figueira, etc.

First and foremost, Rastapopoulos, he's not a "villain" here, at least, from Tintin's perspective, he stays hidden behind henchman, hoods, and wide-brimmed hats. He's got a good, consistent character, with a little depth to it. He's scheming and evil, but when he encounters Tintin on the film set (which he owns the production company of), he goes from angry and ranting to posh and polite at the drop of a hat when he recognizes Tintin. He's well-written, and a good base for later developments.

Then, the unrivaled stars of the show, Thompson (with a p, as in pseudoclassic) and Thomson (without a p, as in automaton), and they are simply spectacular. They're exactly the bumbling buffoons we see in later books, they have multiple defining character moments, consisting of them doing stupid things. They wait on a boat overnight waiting for a hand-grenade to explode, they start a war by mistake, they wear suits and ties in the desert, their stupidity, and the comedy derived from it is endless.

Dr Sarcophagus, despite faults (which will be in the `troublesome bits' section), is entertaining, but I'll keep further discussion of him until later.

The rest are, at least, appealing and recognizable, but almost all of them are based on stereotypes.

Things I like

First and foremost, we finally have reasonable antagonists!

There's not much moral complexity to drug-smugglers that exploit farmers to produce said opium.

It's a certain improvement over Soviets.

Other than that, the art's notable improved, mainly in foliage, it's not the same green forever of TIA, and, of course, the hard-surface is impeccable as always.

Characters are visually consistent, with a degree of unique mannerisms, lines are clean, colours are pleasant. I've no issue with it.

The jokes, for once, actually land somewhat, mainly the Thom(p)sons'

Things I don't

Obviously, the incoherent plot is a fault, but I can tolerate it.

There's one little thing though, and that is page 15, panel 13, in which Tintin is kidnapped over Senhor Oliveira de Figueira's selling of a cake of soap, which was misunderstood to be a regular cake.

Tintin "escapes" the kidnappers, as it turns out that they're fans of Tintin's books, and the one shown is Destination Moon.

This therefore implies that Tintin at this point has visited the moon with Thompson (with a p, as in Pneumonia) and Thomson (without a p, as in semiautomatic), but they still attempt to arrest him without a second though. Utter disaster for the wider Tintinverse.

Troublesome bits

The primary issue here is Rajaijah, the "poison of madness", mainly from the nickname, for obvious reasons.

However, I think it's somewhat defensible, as it is a substance that causes a certain effect on a person's behaviour, or, in technical terms, a psychoactive substance.

It is not that far-fetched (at least by Tintin standards) that a psychoactive could be formulated to have a permanent effect.

But then there's the Psychiatric hospital, which can't be defended in the slightest, so I'm not going to bother writing about it, go read the book and form your own opinions.

And of course, the depictions of pretty much everyone are stereotypical, with varying levels of racism.

Silly bits

The Tintinverse is inadvertently destroyed by a copy of Destination Moon

A film studio built an entire 1:1 replica city.

The Thom(p)sons wait overnight for a grenade to explode.

The Thom(p)sons are trusted with firearms.

The Thom(p)sons start a war.

Tintin survives two major head traumas in quick succession.

Tintin learns to speak elephant.

Conclusion

All in all, I like this book.

It's got its flaws, but they don't majorly distract from the reading experience, also, for the first time, the jokes hit, there are some bits of clever visual storytelling, and overall, it's just Good.

I would recommend you give Cigars Of The Pharaoh a read, but go in with the expectation that it will be very very silly.

Kill Count

Tintin:

1 horse (abandoned)

Psychiatric hospital patent (shattered ribs)

Other:

19 Egyptologists (assassinated)

Sources:

Psychoactive

Postscript: I cut around 7 paragraphs of talking about psychoactive substances after realizing that it was a bit too long. Just a bit.

[pinkhysteria]

my state: *declares state of emergency*

me: wow can’t wait for legacies to come back on tonight! really missed legacies! 

[mrs-gucci]

Fuckin’ (A) Fed {Flip Zimmerman x FBI agent!Reader}

author’s notes: hellooo! I’ve been itching to write for Flip, but I didn’t have any good ideas until I came up with this. 

warnings: smut. mentions of the KKK (no racist language or themes, though). an undercover operation. heavy PDA. implied consent. public/semi-public sex. masturbation. 

(possible) tw’s: tobacco use (as is canon for the character).

word count: 2.9k

Flip couldn’t believe he was here, undercover, with a fuckin’ Fed.

You couldn’t believe you were here, stuck in Colorado Springs, with Detective Zimmerman.

It happened by accident, really. The Bureau got wind of the Klan infiltration investigation in Colorado and sent you out to supervise the case and assist wherever you could. 

Naturally, Flip was unhappy with your, really just the Bureau’s, presence. The two of you butted heads quite a bit in the office. He absolutely reeked of alpha male energy, and you didn’t put up with his dominant attitude and bullshit. 

You couldn’t deny that he was attractive, probably one of the most handsome men you’d ever met, but you hated his guts and he hated yours, which presented an issue. 

Even if he did like you, there was the damning fact that he tried to alpha male your ass at every turn, even though you were the superior officer, technically speaking. A fact you often reminded him of, taking great pleasure in his comical pissy reactions.

At one of his first meetings with the Klan members, unknown to you at the time, the two of you ended up at the same bar. Flip, absolutely refusing to blow his cover, told them that you were his wife. 

You could’ve killed him when he muttered that damn excuse, and not only did he effectively tie you to the case for the rest of the time it was active, he also secured plenty of time together, much of which you had to pretend you were a couple. 

Tonight was the first time you were going with him to a Klan meeting, since he’d run out of plausible excuses for your absence from the rest of the meetings. You had to borrow your friend’s wedding band to wear, and you put on a full face of makeup, along with a low-cut crop top and some high-waisted bell bottoms. 

Arriving at the station a half hour before the meeting, you walked in with your usual confident air, and half the station’s jaws went slack when they drank in the sight of you. Even Flip’s eyes roamed your figure, which brought a smirk to your face.

Smiling cheekily, you walk up to him, arms open.

“Honey!”

He rolls his eyes. 

“Cutting it awfully close, aren’t you, Fed?”

“Always the first to criticize, detective prettyboy. At least I’m actually putting my best acting foot forward, unlike some people.”

You look him up and down, unamused.

“Is your wardrobe exclusively flannels? C’mon, invest in a fuckin’ button-down or something, spice it up for once.”

Ron snickered as both of you quarrel further, heading to the back room to be mic'd up and briefed before departure. 

The Chief talks to you both, reviewing the goals of this particular meeting, and then you both clip each other’s mics on. Flip’s jaw clenches as he tries to figure out where to put the lave, eyes having no choice but to give your breasts a thorough investigation. 

“Just give me that, you fuckin’ wimp.”

You say, clipping it onto the edge of your bra.

“Can’t even grow the balls to brush a woman’s breast for like five seconds. What, worried you’ll get hard?”

He grunts, annoyed, buttoning his shirt back up.

“No. I just respect women and I don’t like touching without a good reason.”

“Ha!”

You laugh sarcastically.

“You, Detective Phillip Zimmerman, respect women? That’s hilarious, coming from the biggest man whore-alpha male I’ve ever met.”

When you turn to walk away, he quickly grabs your arm, holding you still as he steps up behind you. His breath is hot on your skin.

“Don’t go throwing around accusations like that about someone you barely know, Fed. Especially someone you wish whored around with you.”

He smirks, planting a kiss on your bare shoulder.

“Let’s go, honey, or we’ll be late.”

Your skin erupts in goosebumps at the feeling of his beard tickling your skin, and the tender kiss from his lips. 

Both of you hop in his truck and begin the journey over to the bar. Flip slips the fake wedding band onto his thick digit, then pulls a cigarette out, lighting it once he stops at a stop sign.

You quickly roll down the window, gasping for air dramatically. Flip knows you don’t like when he smokes (even though you secretly like it), and he huffs in annoyance.

“Quit the theatrics, Y/N.”

“Maybe you should take a damn lesson from me.”

You look over at him.

“You need to make our cover seem more believable. I know you hate me, and I’m not your biggest fan either, but you dug this fucking grave for yourself, so you might as well lay in it.”

He’s silent, unable to rebut. You’re right, this is all his fault, and a part of him feels bad for dragging you into it. Although he'd never actually admit it out loud, he does actually care for you quite a bit. He might even...like you, like you, as in a ‘more-than-friends’ kinda way.

Before he can give it anymore thought, he pulls into the parking lot of the bar and shuts the engine off with a sigh.

“Just try and act like you aren’t repulsed by me, alright?”

Flip nods, sliding in his earpiece as you put yours in. Both of you started wearing them just in case the other was in trouble when they were out of the room or something happened and you need help.

You and the handsome detective hop down from the cab of his truck, walking in together. He wraps his arm around you, hand resting on your hip, keeping you close to his side.

The Klan members greet both of you.

“Ron! Danielle!”

You plaster on a smile as you shake everyone’s hands, using every bit of your willpower not to cringe or gag at their disgusting, grubby hands, their sexist comments, or their way-too-long glances at your cleavage. 

Felix took a particularly long look, and you feel Flip pull you closer into his side, his jaw clenching.

Was detective prettyboy a little jealous?

You smirk at the thought. 

The night was off to a pretty smooth start so far, both you and Flip maintaining cover quite well. You were impressed by his acting skills; you honestly weren’t sure he would be able to pull this off, based on what you’d seen before.

At some point, about twenty minutes in, Flip pulls you onto his lap and kisses the spot behind your ear. 

“We gotta step up our game a little bit, make this all a little more convincing. Try not to get too turned on, Fed.”

He smirks as his lips travel down to your neck, mouthing and kissing the taut skin there while his hands explore your hips, fingers teasing the waistband of your daisy dukes. 

You’re chewing your lip hard, trying to pretend like this wasn’t super arousing. Flip’s lips feel incredible against your skin, surprisingly soft, and his beard created a gentle scratch that made you shudder. 

He starts talking to one of the Klan members, taking every single opportunity to plant a kiss on your neck or shoulder. You were getting wetter by the minute, especially when you began to shift on top of him, getting a bit uncomfortable, and he grunts softly. 

Your eyes widen when you settle on top of him and feel the beginnings of an erection pressing against the inner seam of his Levi’s. You lean back against his chest, chest pushing out as your head rests on his shoulder. His eyes focus down your shirt, on your breasts that were now so, so close to his mouth.

You nibble at his earlobe, feeling his hands tighten on your waist.

“And you told me not to get turned on, prettyboy…seems like you should take your own advice.”

“Any guy would be turned on when a woman’s sitting on their lap.”

His teeth grit and he huffs through his nose.

Your hips suddenly grind down on top of him, and he presses up against you, inhaling sharply.

“Oh, I’m not so sure about that, detective. A professional alpha male like yourself should be immune to such things. You wouldn’t wanna seem too desperate or eager, right?”

Flip growls.

“Cut it out, you’re gonna blow our fuckin’ cover.”

Your teeth scrape against his bulging neck vein.

“It’s perfectly normal for newly married couples to be handsy, detective. And, I think your perverted friends are enjoying the show. Wouldn’t wanna disappoint them.”

“Fine.”

His hand opens on your inner thigh, pushing your legs apart before his fingers walk over to the crotch of your jeans.

“Let’s give ‘em a fuckin’ show, then.”

You sit up immediately, eyes wide as you look back at him with a partially concerned expression. He just reaches up and presses a kiss to your lips while his finger applies pressure on your clit through your jeans, causing you to gasp into his mouth and pull away from the kiss.

“Stop it.”

You mutter.

He grins deviously, trailing his other hand up to run along the underwire of your bra. His fingers begin tracing circles over the seam, moving it around your clit.

“I don’t think you really want me to, Fed. I can feel the heat through your jeans. You put on a good little act with your tough woman ‘I don’t need a man’ bullshit, but I know what you want, what you need, Y/N.”

You’re grinding against his finger gently, whining under your breath. Suddenly, and much to his surprise, you pull away and hop down from the stool, making a beeline straight for the port-a-john out back behind the building. 

Once the door is locked, you slip your hand down under your jeans, tilting your head down to speak right into the mic.

“I know you can hear this, detective.”

You gasp as your finger swirls over the sensitive nub.

Flip tenses up in the middle of talking with Ivanhoe, breath catching in his throat. That gasp was unmistakable: you were touching yourself. His cock twitches in his pants, and he groans under his breath. 

You hear his obvious reaction through your earpiece and it only spurs you on, rubbing yourself faster.

“You’re gonna s-sit there and listen to me get off without you, and you’re gonna enjoy every g-goddamn second of it.”

He lights a cigarette, thinking it’ll take some of the edge off, as he’s forced to listen to you. Your noises are so soft, so innocent, and Flip thinks he’s gonna bust in his pants when you slip your fingers inside.

“Yeah, oh fuck, yeah!”

You moan into the mic.

“I’ve got three f-fucking fingers stuffed up into me, detective, and they feel amazing. I’m gonna make myself cum right here, right now, while you listen.”

His teeth almost bite the cigarette in half, fists clenching as his cock presses desperately against the denim.

“Mmmmm, yeah, yeah, fuck detective!”

Flip leaps up from the stool, almost knocking it over as he marches out of the bar, leaving Ivanhoe and the rest of the Klan members in shock. 

You’re so close, hips bouncing up and down on your fingers…

“LET ME THE FUCK IN!”

He pounds on the door, making you jump.

“LET ME IN NOW!”

You pull your hand out of your pants and suck on your fingers as you unlock the door and push it open. Flip grabs the handle and swings it open, almost taking it off its hinges, stepping into the small wooden structure with a cloud of smoke surrounding him. He locks it behind him again and yanks your fingers out of your mouth, walking behind you, hands grabbing your hips roughly.

He shoves you forward, pressing you flush against the door as you hear the button and zipper of his jeans being undone. His foot kicks your inner ankle, forcing your legs apart before yanking his jeans down. 

“Take your fucking pants off, Fed.”

His voice is little more than a growl.

You’re on fire at this point, obeying his instruction, tugging your jeans down off your hips. He groans from behind you, hand bouncing up and down on his leaking cock, but you don’t dare turn around. 

“You’ll learn better than to tease me.”

His hand comes down on your ass, smacking it before tearing the flimsy lace thong down your legs and shoving his digits through your slick folds. He starts rubbing your clit in lazy circles, tugging his cock harder.

“You think you’re so fuckin’ cute, playing with me like that.”

He pulls them away suddenly, bringing them up to your mouth, smearing the substance over your sore lips. Then, he quickly pulls you back off the door and digs his chin into your shoulder as he lines up with your entrance, collecting some slick on his tip.

Your eyes roll into the back of your head when he presses his hips forward, entering you with one swift motion. He groans around the cigarette wedged between his teeth, fingers digging into your hips as he pushes you forward and pulls you back down on his cock, almost like he’s using you to fuck himself.

The simple idea makes your insides clench.

“Goddamn tight fuckin’…”

He trails off, back hunching as he bends his knees and tucks his hips up under you. This new angle has him nudging your cervix while also rubbing along your g-spot. 

“Yeahhhhh that’s it, there it is.” 

He holds your hips as he fucks up into you, grunting audibly with each thrust. You think you’ve died and gone to heaven, the immense feelings of pleasure spreading from your toes to your head.

“F-Flip--”

“Quiet, filthy brat. I’m fuckin’ tired of hearing your goddamn voice.”

His hands move up to grip your ribcage as he fucks you harder, skin slapping together roughly. 

“God, why did they send you, out of all the fuckin’ Feds, why did they have to send you?”

He hisses.

“Torturing me from day one with your fuckin’ attitude. Oh, there were so many times I wanted to just bend your tight ass over my desk and fuck you stupid, show you your fucking place.”

Your thighs tremble as he rails you from behind, and your noises only seem to spur him on more.

“Ahh, ohh s-shit.”

“Knew you’d have a tight little cunt--fuuuck--knew I’d like splitting you in half, forcing my big fat cock into your slutty pussy.”

He crushes his cigarette out against the wall, hips not missing a beat.

You bite your lip hard, holding back the screams and cries that want to come out. You’re impossibly close now, the entire situation turning you on more than anything else before it.

“Do you like this, Fed? Does my big cock feel good stuffed into you?”

“I...I...yes.”

You breathe, pushing your hips back against him.

Flip growls.

“Yeah you do, of course you do. You like this cock, wrapped around it like a sleeve, taking it like it’s your life’s purpose.”

The tears stream down your cheeks, the sweet burn of orgasm overwhelming as you teeter on the edge. You can’t hold back anymore, you can’t. 

You let out a soft sob as your walls clench.

“P-Please, please, I’m s- c-close. Let me cum.”

“No.”

He growls, forcing you to bend over.

“Touch your toes, hold your ankles, whatever the fuck you want.”

Your hands grip onto your lower calves for dear life as Flip digs his fingers into your hips to hold you in place, hips pounding desperately.

“Yeah, oh shit, how did you get tighter?”

He moans, clearly losing himself more and more with each thrust.

“I’m gonna fucking cum, gonna stuff all my seed into this tiny little cunt, and you’re gonna have to walk back into the bar with it dripping down your legs.”

This new angle lets him hit every single sensitive spot inside you, ones you didn’t even know existed, and you’re consistently crying out for him.

“Wanna hear your noises, don’t hold back.”

He breathes.

“C’mon, cry on this big cock, Fed whore. Moan like a fuckin’ pornstar for me.”

Your walls grip him as tight as they can.

“Yeah, y-yeah, oh detective!”

His hips are moving at lightning speed, legs spreading wider as his orgasm builds.

“Keep going!”

“Fuck me harder, detective, oh yes! Yeah baby, fuck me harder, harder please!”

You cry out, choking on sobs.

“God you’re such a s-stupid disgusting little slut!”

He yells.

“Gonna stuff this cunt--AH!”

Flip’s entire body freezes as his orgasm suddenly hits, hips pressed inside you as his seed paints your walls. His eyes squeeze shut and his jaw hangs open as a loud, guttural groan accompanies his release.

“Fuck!”

His hips mock thrust as he rides out his high, rutting into you, making sure every drop lands inside you.

Once he’s finished, he pulls out, groaning when a glob of the pearly liquid literally drops out of your abused entrance. He tucks himself back into his pants and bends over, grabbing your hair, pulling you until you’re standing up straight.

He reaches down and pats your folds while his lips plant a single, open-mouthed kiss on your shoulder. You’re almost lethargic at this point, head spinning and body trembling at the lost orgasm.

“Never, ever tease me again, Fed.”

You simply nod, and he smirks.

“Good girl.”

Flip gives you one final smack on the folds before stepping back out into the warm Colorado night.

[crossoverworldtree]

John Henry

John Henry was a steel drivin' man, They say one day he'll die with that hammer in his hand. John Henry would whistle and just as often sing, But in the mountain in the mournin' you could hear his hammer ring. That Yankee had a great machine to drill the rock away, It was said to drill like ten tall men, all the live long day. The captain told John Henry, boy you got a willin' mind. But you'd best lay your hammer down, you won't beat this machine of mine. John Henry told the Captain, boss when you go to town Buy me a twenty-pound hammer and I'll drive that steel drill down. I swear by all that's holy, I'll drive that steel down. John Henry looked at the mountain, and he got in the lead to drive; But the rock was so tall, And John Henry was so small, That he hung his head and he cried. That Yankee had a great machine to steal their pride away, A machine of faceless, hateful men who play the part by day. The captain told John Henry, Son you got a willin' mind, But you'd best lay your hammer down, you won't beat this machine of mine. John Henry told the captain that a man is just a man, But before that machine can beat me down, I'll die with my hammer in my hand. John Henry told the captain that a man is just a man, And I swear by all that's right and wrong I'll kill you where you stand.

Name: John Wilson a.k.a. John Henry Date of Birth: 1917 Motivation: Revenge Critter Type: Slasher Attributes: Str 10, Dex 6, Con 8, Int 2, Per 3, Will 6 Ability Scores: Muscle 26, Combat 18, Brains 12, Life Points: 130 Drama Points: 10 Special Abilities: Hard to Kill 6, Slasher, Regeneration (con per minute), Obsession (Revenge), Severe Cruelty, Attractiveness -2, Reduced Damage (1/5 Bullet), Increased Life Points +30, Ambidexterity, Supernatural Senses (Empathy--Hatred only, geared towards racism), Armor Value 5 Name                -        Score        -        Damage        -        Notes Punch                -        18        -        25                -        Bash Kick                -        17        -        27                -        Bash Hammer        -        18        -        60                -        Bash Spike                -        18        -        27                -        Slash/Stab John Williams died in 1955 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Or rather, part of him died. He, his wife, and his daughters were lynched by Klansmen.  He served in the Second World War only to face a new enemy back home.  One that cost him more than anything. He survived, but his family did not.

But that's not completely true.  Part of him died back then, along with his family. But part of him lived on--for revenge. He made a costume, forged a few hammers, and became known as John Henry, after the folk hero.  He took violently (but never immediately lethal) wreaking vengeance against the Klan until he was outnumbered, hunted down, and killed in 1959.  He was lynched and burned at the stake. His murder managed to get an op-ed piece done by Edward R. Murrow to highlight the injustices in the South. Like many Slashers, he entered a dormant period until the early 60s, rising with the civil rights movement. Thankfully, possibly, it could be said that his soul had rejoined his family if there was true justice in the next world. His body, however, had become a vessel of his remaining anger and rage. For himself and others who have suffered and died due to racial injustice. It has less of a mind now, but more power to work its will than it ever did before.  Throughout his career as a Slasher, his target remained the Klan, as well as Klan sympathizers. In the mid-60s he was put down again.

When the Klan attempted to rise to power again in 1974 under David Dukes leadership, John Henry rose as well, meeting injustice with his harmers until they were crimson with blood. He was dormant again after 1983 when the largest Klan groups were crippled by social and legal pressures. However, in the early part of 2000, the Klan began a slow resurgence, exploiting hot-button issues of Gay Marriage, Immigration, Urban Crime, and later still the 9/11 atmosphere.  As the Klan rose, so did John Henry, ready to drive steel until the Klan is gone (and, later, Neo-Nazis and other white supremacist movements). Though the Klan today rarely practices the violence it preaches, letting 'lone gunmen' act out their wills. John Henry's tactics have remained as brutal as they were before.

As society tries to turn against minorities, John Henry rises to soak his hammers in blood.

As an NPC, the players should be kept in the dark as to John Henry's motives until well into the adventure. Once they realize this guy specializes in hunting racists and Nazis... well, most players will likely just let him have his revenge.

[lboogie1906]

Established in 1869, the National Labor Union, (established December 1, 1869) known as the Colored National Labor Union, was formed by African Americans to organize their labor on a national level. The CNLU was created to improve the working conditions and quality of life for its members. African Americans were excluded from some existing labor unions, such as when white workers formed the National Labor Union. William Sylvis, president of the NLU, made a speech in which he agreed that there should be "no distinction of race or nationality". In 1869 several African American delegates were invited to the annual meeting of the NLU, among them Isaac Myers, a prominent organizer of African-American laborers. He spoke for solidarity, saying that white and African American workers ought to organize together for higher wages and a comfortable standard of living. Frederick Douglass was selected as the president of the CNLU in 1872. The CNLU sent delegates to the 1870 National Labor Convention, but following the NLU's rejection of African American abolitionist attorney John M. Langston's admission, the CNLU broke off most of its contact with the NLU. The CNLU established the Bureau of Labor. The Bureau of Labor was designed to assist workers of color in organizing throughout the country. Isaac Meyers encouraged the organization of African American workers and attempted to convince white labor unions to allow workers of color within their organizations. He focused on mechanics and mechanic unions, as he believed that white mechanic labor unions were designed to withhold specific positions from African American workers. At the CNLU's second annual convention, Myers claimed that the educational and financial resources provided by the CNLU and the Bureau of Labor were insufficient and noted that the Ku Klux Klan's power in the South prevented the organization of African American laborers. By 1872, the CNLU had ceased most of its operations and would disband. It was not until after WWII that the government stepped in and encouraged the development of the Fair Employment Practices Commission. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmbf3R0rqNg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=